Thin is definitely in. At just over a half-inch thick, the Motorola RAZR V3 is the perfect combination of sleek design and powerful features. With long-range Bluetooth, support for video playback, a VGA (640 x 480) camera and a gorgeous color screen, the RAZR V3 is everything you're looking for in a stylish mobile companion. Get the most out of your Cingular service with this impressive quad-band phone.

The RAZR V3's design takes the standard clamshell form factor to the next level with an impressive, anodized aluminum construction. A large 176 x 220 color display with 262,000 colors dominates the inside of the top cover. The outside cover of the handset sports a supplementary 96 x 80 full-color display that can display pictures, time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. The VGA camera lens is housed above this display. Up/down buttons are placed on the left side for volume control while a voice button on the right side of the unit allows you to enter voice memos and create voice dialing profiles. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's backlit control pad, which is precision cut from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy. A charging port and USB data cable port is placed on the bottom of the phone.

Calling Features The RAZR V3's internal phone book can hold up to 1000 contacts while the phone's picture ID system allows you to assign pictures to your most common callers. It also supports polyphonic ringtones as well as MP3 ringers, allowing you to use portions of your favorite songs to alert you to incoming calls. A number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone and more ringtones can be downloaded from Cingular Wireless' MEdia service. There's even an included application, MotoMixer, that lets you mix your own ringtones. For times when you want to be discreet, there's a vibrating alert. A built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear while voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names.

Because the RAZR V3 is Bluetooth enabled, wireless headsets can be configured with the phone for total handsfree operation.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The RAZR V3 is a messaging and wireless Internet powerhouse. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is also supported via AOL Instant Messenger and the phone ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols (Cingular messaging charges apply).

Thin is in: The RAZR's keypad is precision cut from a single sheet of nickel-plated copper alloy.

There's also a built-in web browser for MEdia downloads and mobile web browsing. Cingular's MEdia service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the RAZR V3 as it supports Cingular's GSM-based Wireless Internet Express service. When used with a Cingular data plan and the phone's Bluetooth or USB data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the RAZR V3 including a voice memo recorder, a calculator with currency converter, a calendar and an alarm clock. Use the phone's Bluetooth capability to set up a wireless link with a Bluetooth accessory or connect to a computer or hand-held device to exchange and synchronize data. The phone also supports the SyncML PC synchronization standard, can be used with Motorola's Mobile Phone Tools PC application to manage and synchronize contacts, calendar and other data with your PC.

Imaging and Entertainment With 5 MB of internal memory storage, the RAZR V3 shines in the entertainment department. The phone's VGA camera features a 4x zoom, image quality options, and an auto-timer so you can be in your pictures, too. Capture stills and then send them to your friends via MMS messaging or email, or to your PC via USB or Bluetooth. The phone is capable of MPEG4 video playback when you receive a video message, or if you upload video to the phone via USB or Bluetooth. The RAZR V3 also supports custom graphics for wallpapers so you can dress up the phone to suit your fancy.

Support for gaming is built into the phone and games are available for download via the Cingular MEdia service.

Vital Statistics The Motorola RAZR V3 weighs 3.35 ounces and measures 3.86 x 2.09 x .54 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 6.67 hours of digital talk time, and up to 250 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 800/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Bad phone for mommy
My mommy got this phone. my dad yells at her why she spent so much money on it cuz it isnt very good. i think it looks weird . it also isnt very load like one timemy mom had it in her purse thing and it rang and she missed the callbecuase she couldnt here the ringing!!!!!!!It is a very bad item thhing my mom is gonna sell it on ebay!!!!!

Great look: Battery power HORRIBLE
yes I agree with most of you: the RAZR is definitely sleek looking and such.I've barely had it for a month and already I'm disappointed.Seems I am always charging this phone even though I do not 'clock in the time'.The large screen is great; the fact you can put it in your backpocket and almost forget it's there is nice, too.But so far I am not impressed.. yes Nokia does make better phones....

Paying for the looks only
I got this phone about a week ago and sure, it's thin, it's cool looking but in the end, it's just a phone. I was deciding between the V3 and a nokia 6230. I really think i should've gone with the nokia.

- The V3's speakerphone isn't that loud. I turn it on and end up turning it back off because i can hear better without it.

- The phone has a slim profile but it's actually pretty large. it's just thin. When it's open, it looks huge against your face.

- The buttons are flat and takes used to using. This is especially true if you like to text message a lot, like me. The upside to this is that Motorola's iTap software is really nice to use compared to my old samsung.

- Yes, it has a large screen. but when you use it, oils from your face get all over it. the oils from your fingers get on the keys which transfer to the screen.

- no games unless you want to connect to the internet. BUMMER!!

- crappy ring tones. again, you'll have to pay for better ones.

The nice thing about cingular is that yes, you have good reception, mobile to mobile, and rollover. The bad thing is they totally rip you off in text messages compared to t-mobile.

Excellent Phone
I'm up in the North East and Cingular is great up here.I have had them for several years now and have tried other cell phone providers, but they are the best I think.This phone is great.I have had it for six months now and it works great.Reception is great, I get a signal in areas where other phones I have had I couldn't.I have dropped it several times and still not a scratch due to the metal housing.Great screen.Bluetooth works well.Phone is very loud.The battery life is great.I have read where some people say it is horrible.I'm on the phone all the time and I have never used up the battery to go under two bars.Great phone.The one drawback I found was Cingular will not insure the phone.

Love it
I have had the Motorols Razor V3 for about 3 months. I have had no problems with it. I have taken it everywhere Hawaii, Flordia, France, London, and the UK(and i only had like 1-2 groped calls over there) I would really recomend this phone to anyone. and I love Cingular Wireless i had att wireless then they combined and it is even better. The Bluetooth is easy to set up to.
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Messaging and Internet The phone's wireless Internet browser provides high-speed data transmission via GPRS, as well as MMS and advanced EMS messaging, which lets you send, receive and edit text, voice, and pictures (such as ones you take with the camera) to and from other compatible cell phones and computers. You'll also get instant messaging via Wireless Village, with predictive text input and text message templates. To expand your phone's functionality, simply surf the Web and Samsung's Web site for additional productivity software applications; this phone supports Java MIDP 2.0/CLDC 1.0.4.

Organizer The Samsung E315's organizer features include an alarm, calendar, to-do list, clock with world time mode, calculator, currency exchange calculator, and voice memo, among others. You can also sync up data from your phone's organizer with your PC.

Cameras, Fun, and Games As mentioned above, the E315 comes with an integrated VGA digital camera that takes 640 x 480-pixel photos, and provides digital zoom, a self-timer, multi-shot and night-shot modes, and some effects and digital frames. You can also download and play video clips from the Web. For more fun, a wide variety of games, polyphonic ring tones, and graphics are available for download from the Web.

good phone but always drop calls
This phone really gave me good time that I like it very much, however, it often drops calls without any reason. Tmobile offered me another two new phones twice, but it still have this problem. I think, either the phone is not good or Tmobile offers very poor service.

WHOA
Oh my gosh this may be the coolest phone I've ever seen. I first had the Samsung e105 but then dropped it in a fountain and it got fried (whoops!) Now I have the Samsung e315 and love it even better. I didnt really care about a camera (and video) but now that i have it its one of my favorite features. Some other good features are that you can take a picture while the phone is shut and it will show up on the screen on the front (full color screen on front of phone) one other quality that i like is the fact that say you have "Bob" in your contact book. You can take a picture of "Bob" and set it on the contact list so that when "Bob" calls his picture will show up on the front of the phone on the color screen.

This phone is absolutley awesome and I dont know why anyone would do w/o it.

Sophisticated Tin Can
Remember when you were a kid and you tried tying two tin cans together with string to make a "telephone" system? Well, Samsung has faithfully recreated that tin-can sound with this phone. It looks and feels slick and smooth, but hey, doesnt a cell phone first and foremost need to be used to converse?!A real disappointment!

Works great as a phone.
Pros:
-Phone is small (virtually smaller than any other phone on the market)
- sound quality is amazing, no static at all.
- price+contract. it should be -100$ after mail in rebates, which is excellent. It implies you virtually have 2.5 month free.
- I do not like all the bells and whistles, but phone camera is great and easy to use.
- I HAVE NEVER HEARD THIS PHONE TO BE DISFUNCTIONAL (it is the main reason I have bought it). Check other phones and you will see complaints about phones.

Cons:
- no regular phone rings. (I really miss my old cell phone ringing tones. New phones are packed with funky ringtones, but it is a problem of every modern phone.

Battery life needs a lot of improvement
This phone itself is fine, but the battery life is extremely short. I am not for sure but seems like its battery is one of those which need to be completely drained before recharging. Otherwise it develops memory and then slowly its life becomes very less.

Camera is not very useful because of resolution. But otherwise the phone looks sleek.

Depending upon coverage there may be delays in how fast you can make phone calls. Coverage in my area is not very good. So often this phone loses service and I have to wait for a minute or two to be able to make phone calls. This is not a completely this phone's fault though.
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With a unique design that incorporates a QWERTY keyboard, as well as Bluetooth and a VGA (640 x 480) camera, the tri-band Motorola A630 combines everything you need into one svelte package. Quickly respond to emails or text messages, snap a picture and send it to a friend, sync your contacts from your PC via Bluetooth. The A630 can do it all in style.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the A630's features.

The A630 is not your typical clamshell. The outside face sports a keypad with power and selection buttons, as well as a 96 x 48 blue monochrome LCD screen that displays call information, signal strength, battery life and more. The phone's VGA camera is housed just above this display. Supplementary up/down buttons are present on the left side of the unit, as is a camera button for turning on the camera in a jiffy. There's also a 2.5mm jack for handsfree calling with a wired headset. A combined port provides USB connectivity (with an optional USB cable) and power charging.

What's under the keypad of the A630 is what really astounds. Flipping the phone open reveals a vivid 65,000-color 176 x 220 display with a landscape format. As mentioned, there's also a full QWERTY keyboard inside the cover, plus a large five-way selection button for navigating menus and controlling most of the phone's features.

Calling Features The A630's phone book can hold up to a whopping 1000 contacts with multiple entries per contact. The phone also features a full-duplex speakerphone that activates automatically when the cover is opened for easy handsfree talking. Voice dialing lets you speak the names of your most frequent contacts for instantaneous dialing. Polyphonic ringtones with up to 24 chords are included and more ringtones can be downloaded from T-Mobile's t-zones service. Picture caller ID lets you assign a photo to specific callers. Similarly, a ringer ID lets you assign ringtones to callers. There's even an included application, MotoMixer, that enables you to mix your own ringtones. For those times you want to keep things discreet, there's also a vibrate ringer mode. The phone's Bluetooth connectivity means that your favorite Bluetooth headset is fully compatible.

Messaging, Internet and ToolsThe A630 has all the bases covered when it comes to messaging and Internet connectivity. When coupled with the built-in keyboard, you've got a mobile communication powerhouse. The phone features support for AOL Instant Messenger (T-Mobile messaging charges apply) and there's a built-in web browser for t-zones downloads and mobile web browsing. T-Mobile's t-zones service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more.

Traditional text messaging, as well as picture, sound and video messaging, are also supported by the phone. When used in combination with the phone's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is supported if you want to use the outer keypad for text entry.

The A630 also comes ready to serve as a mobile email companion. With support for POP, IMAP and SMTP protocols, you can connect to your personal and business email accounts with ease. All you'll need is t-zones data service from T-Mobile.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the A630 including a voice memo recorder with up to three minutes of recording capacity, a calculator and currency converter, a calendar and an alarm clock. Use the A630's Bluetooth capability to set up a wireless link with a Bluetooth headset accessory or connect to a computer or hand-held device to exchange and synchronize data. The phone also supports the SyncML PC synchronization standard via USB or Bluetooth, andthis can be used with Motorola's Mobile Phone Tools PC application to manage and synchronize contacts, calendar and other data with your PC.

Imaging and Entertainment The A630's VGA camera features a self-timer function for those times when you want to be in the picture, too. Bluetooth connectivity can also be used to transfer pictures, sounds and graphics between your PC and the phone's 5MB of embedded memory. Screensavers, themes and wallpapers can be set to your tastes. The A630 is Java enabled, meaning it supports games and application downloads written on the Java platform. Games are available via the T-Mobile t-zones service.

Vital Statistics The A630 weighs 4.3 ounces and measures 3.74 x 1.93 x .92 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4.33 hours of digital talk time, and up to 200 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 800/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Ok Phone with lots of problems
I bought this phone 2 months ago. It is really cute and beautiful phone...but I have been noticing some problems in the phone down the time...I would like to share them with everyone...

Pros:

1) The phone looks pretty good. Everyone gets attracted by the phone.
2) The cute little keyboard is great for SMS (but big hand fellows see the Cons section)
3) Battery life is fine for me. I am not a frequent call maker so it's ok to me
4) Easy Volume control (over the side of the phone)
5) Blue tooth technology is great. I transferred some ringtones from another Motorola phone easily.
6) Voice clarity is good (not the speaker, see the Cons section)
7) The screen shows many little icons explaining several things (the phone ring style, battery life, signal, Bluetooth etc). Those icons are really cool and self explanatory...

Cons:

1) The biggest problem is the phone calls get disconnected automatically every 10 or 11 minutes. I called the customer service and found out that it's the bug in the phone. We need to switch it off and switch it on everyday to get rid of that problem. I am doing that. Now I don't have the problem. But this is really weird and funny that we need to do something to keep the phone good...ridiculous. My laughs for the Motorola's software team of this product.
2) The keyboard is good but not that good. It is not suitable for big hands. You will feel uncomfortable typing some keys especially the ones in the top row. The menu navigation is also not that easy.
3) The speaker phone is really cool feature but the volume really sucks.
4) One big hassle I am facing is "Call Waiting", "Conference". It is a nightmare to attend a call which is waiting or setup a conference. Several times, I have ended up linking the 2 incoming calls without my knowledge. When you are in a call and if you get a new incoming call, you won't be able to put all the calls on conference. You can only do switching between calls or linking those 2 other calls (not you). For example, if you are on a call say CALL1 and you are receiving CALL2. Now there is no way you can disconnect CALL1. During call waiting, the disconnect button will be used as the Link between CALL1 and CALL2. So if you try to disconnect CALL1, you will end up linking CALL1 and CALL2. Hassle, Hassle, Hassle and it is more complicated in conference calls...you cannot make conference call without opening the flipflop....ok enough....too many issues here....
5) As usual with other phones, the screen display is not properly visible during day time.
6) Ok, one more big problem. You can't get a carry case for this model very easily. It's very hard to get the one which fits perfectly. I got Krussel carrying case which is ok. But even I am finding difficulties connecting my charger to the phone when it is in the case. The Case cost itself will be more than 20 dollars...it is so delicate that you definitely need a case.
7) I could find several small software bugs all over the phone whenever I start exploring it.
8) Searching the phonebook is limited to only first character of the entry

Unknown:

1) I used camera but I have not transferred the photos to computer so no comments
2) I did not use Bluetooth technology that extensively
3) I never used the phone for chat or emails I use it only for SMS.

Very good phone overall!
I've only had this phone for a few days, but I love it already.It's a bit difficult to get used to the Motorola after using an LG for a few years (mainly because the "send" and "end" button positions are reversed) but overall, this phone is easy enough to use.My only complaints thus far are that when using the phone closed, the earpiece volume is not very loud, even when turned up to the max.Usually this is not a problem, but if you are using the phone in a loud environment you will have a hard time hearing the person on the other end.Another drawback is that as far as I know, you can only use the speakerphone with the flip open, and only on incoming calls.I've only flipped through the manual briefly, but the only thing I could find on how to activate the speakerphone was to open the flip while receiving an incoming call.The camera is okay, no better or worse than the quality of any other camera phones I have owned (I don't think the quality on camera phones is very good in general).I use text messagingA LOT so the QWERTY keyboard is a huge plus on this.It's very easy to use as the buttons are just big enough that they aren't awkward to use.At the same time, they aren't so large that the overall size of the phone is enormous, which is another big plus.This phone is just slightly larger than the LG VX6100 flip phone I was using before- definitely not as big or bulky as I was expecting it to be.The best thing about this phone is that you can use it closed, like a standard "candy bar" shaped phone, or use it with the flip open to access more features.Another plus is that the LCD screen on the outside is actually very functional, compared to that on other phones- you can scroll through contacts and read text messages without even opening the phone!I would give this phone a 5 star rating if not for the low earpiece volume and somewhat strange speakerphone operation.

It suckz!
It looks cute but it's not a phone u would use everyday. The first time I got it, it wouldn't charge after just a week. I tried all the chargers we had and when we really couldn't charge the phone, we returned it to the dealer we got it from and they exchanged it because it was defective. After 6 months, now I'm having the same problem with charging it. The batt is dead and I can't even exhange it anymore. My other friends who has the same phone as me has the same problem with it too. I don't recommend it.

Problem phone very disappointed.......
I got this A630 phone this year January, at the begining it was a great phone althought the keyboard button was too small for my long nail I still love the big name "Motorola" and all those gadgets that comes with the phone.However, after three months of usage the phone will shut off automatically after conversations.After a week later the phone basically not working and dies out.So I toke it back to T-Mobile they sent me a refurbiush phone.OK, less than 2 weeks same problem again, phone was dead.Toke it back to T-Mobile, they test it out and they said it was not the battery itself, it was the phone, so here we goes again they sent me another refurbuish phone. Now not long ago my phone went dead again with fully chagred battery.3 times in a roll, I am giving up with this model.I did not abuse my phone at all, did not drop it on the ground or in the water, I just used it for regular conversions with my family.People who consider to purchase this phone be very careful, I am extremely disappointed with this model.I am still a big fan of "Motorola", but would not recommend this model for other people, flip phone is still the best after all.

Grat phone. Great service.
I cannot be happier with this phone. The only problem with it is the fact that it is thicker then normal phones and is not good for carrying around in jeans pockets, which does not bother me since I prefer to carry it in a leather case anyway.

If you've owned a motorola phone before you will not have any problems with the interface (if you haven't and can't figure things out, this is what the manual is for). Contrary to what some people are saying you can specify if a phone number is for a cell, work, home etc phone. However, if you need to use that functionality you must store your phone numbers on the phone memory and not the SIM card. (SIM cards can only hold simple phone info)

The bluetooth works great - I use it with a HS850 headset.

I also love the keyboard, entering data to phone is very very easy.
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Motorola delivers Bluetooth, a megapixel camera, video messaging, TransFlash memory expansion and more in this flagship phone. Designed for Verizon Wireless users, all the tools and power a mobile warrior needs are packed into this premium tri-band clamshell.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the v710's features.

The V710's overall shape is similar in design to Motorola's high-end GSM phone, the V600. The V710 ups the ante in many areas, however. The internal 2.2-inch 176 x 220 screen sports more colors (262,000 vs. 65,000) than the V600. The full-color, 98 x 67 supplementary external display is another step-up feature from the V600. This screen displays incoming call information, picture caller ID, camera self portraits, signal strength, battery life, current time and more. The 1.2 Megapixels camera lens and LED flash is housed above this display. An extendable stub antenna is placed on the top right side of the phone. A TransFlash memory slot is located next to the antenna. A standard 2.5mm stereo headset jack is present, as is a combined charging/USB data port. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's control pad.

Calling Features The V710 boasts some powerful calling functions that make it a perfect part of a mobile office. The office-quality speakerphone makes it easy to converse without touching the handset-- a big plus for car users. Enhanced voice dialing supports voice-to-digit dialing and name recognition for speedy dialing of contacts. The V710s voice recognition software supports voice commands from any user, not just a pre-programmed user's voice. Because the V710 is Bluetooth enabled, wireless headsets can be configured with the phone for total handsfree operation.

The V710's 10 MB of internal memory can be used to hold up to 500 contacts for quick access to email addresses and phone numbers. The phone lets you easily assign pictures to your most common callers. In addition to vibrating alerts, the phone supports polyphonic ringtones as well as MP3 ringers, allowing you to use portions of your favorite songs to alert you to incoming calls. A number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone and more ringtones can be downloaded from Verizon's Mobile Web service. The V710's GPS location technology pinpoints your exact location when you dial 911.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The V710 is a mobile messaging, email and Internet powerhouse. An included email client supports POP3, SMTP and IMAP4 email standards (when used with optional Verizon data service). The V710's support for multimedia messaging means that text, photos, video and audio can be sent with ease (Verizon messaging charges apply). When used in combination with the phone's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. There's also a built-in web browser for Verizon Mobile Web downloads and mobile web browsing. Verizon's optional Mobile Web package allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. You can check your e-mail, trade stocks online, compare prices while shopping, access flight information, get movie listings and find directions to the theater. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Verizon's Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with the V710. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads and digital photo-sharing tools using the Get It Now service.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the V710 including a voice memo recorder, a calculator with currency converter, a calendar and an alarm clock. And you can use the V710's Bluetooth capability to set up a wireless link with your favorite Bluetooth headset accessory.

Imaging and Entertainment Plenty of good times are built right into this handset, and that fun is expandable thanks to the V710's TransFlash memory expansion slot. The slot supports an additional 128 MB of memory in addition to the phone's embedded 10 MB of memory. The V710's 1.2 megapixels camera with flash bridges the gap between phones and quality digital cameras. Support for up to 3 minutes of video capture is also included. An MP3 player lets you load up your favorite tunes and use the phone as a portable jukebox. Embedded animated screensavers and full screen wallpapers are built-in so you can set up the V710 to suit your tastes.

The V710 is BREW enabled, meaning it supports games written on the BREW platform. Games are available via the Get It Now service.

Vital Statistics The Motorola V710 weighs 4.06 ounces and measures 3.70 x 1.93 x .92 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.33 hours of digital talk time, and up to 150 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the AMPS 800/CDMA 800/CDMA 1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Good phone with terrible battery life.
So I switched from T-Mobile to Verizon and am quite happy with the signal and coverage.
Verizon truly does have the best coverage around the San Francisco Bay area.
The Motorola V-710 phone stood out as a sleak and sexy piece compared to all other phones that Verizon carried. It has an amazing color screen and fantastic reception.
If you are looking for a great phone with basic features, I suggest you get it at this amazingly low price.
But I wanted something more.... Bluetooth and freedom.
The V-710 really is Verizon's crippled bluetooth phone. They have disabled all but 1 bluetooth feature.
You cant transfer images, ringtones etc to your phone. Bluetooth feature can only be used for the hedset. This really sucks.
Also I was forced to purchase the extended battery cause the 2 color screens at > 65,000 resoultion kills the available battery in under 1.5 hours.
The phone is heavy but thats normal for CDMA. It's also oversized to fit the screen and keys. Eventually you will get used to it.
There are pro's and con's....... But overall I am happier now than I was with my Sony Ericcson T-610 running off T-Mobile.

The Phone is Awesome, but Nothing is Ever Perfect
Everything has its pros and cons.The V710 reception far outweighs the crappy camara any day!

Cons
-it requires a cell phone carrier to work
-the camara takes terrible pictures
-hard to find a case that doesn't interfer with opening and closing the phone (as with all flip phones)

I really like the Motorola V710 phone.I have had Verizon Wireless service for a few years now (word of advice, run if you haven't gotten stuck in with a contract) and this phone works the best on their network.I have a cronic problem of dropping calls around my house and this is the only phone that can hang on to the calls.In the past few weeks I have tried the LG VX7000, which dropped calls faster than a brick, and the Kyrocera (or however you spell it) which also drops way to many calls.I have been very happy with the V710, the camara sucks, as I am sure you have heard, but if you want a great camara, get a camara.The phone has some really niffty features on it and I am really starting to warm up to the menu, which can be just plain wierd if you are not use to it.Another thing that gives the Motorola a learning curve is the layout of the keys, but it can be a "what the heck is that" phone.All in all, I choose the Motorola because of the reception but I am finding all kinds of other features I didn't know I couldn't live without.The Motorola is an increadibly clear phone with great reception, but won't bring you the kitchen sink.The LG VX7000 is a phone that has increadibly crappy reception but does everything else with flying colors.But hey, the thing is a phone, not a butler.

Great Phone Cool Features
Recently upgraded from the v265, and wish I had purchased this in the first place. The 265 was a good phone but this phone has all the latest features, including BT. I resisted buying this phone due to the talk about limited BT functionality but realized it was just hype and I would not use anything more than the Headset or Car Kit anyway.

Beyond the features the quality of the phone take advantage of the great Verizon Network. I have had a few carriers and Verizon is the way to go. Not only is the quality much better but I actually pay less since most of my friends and contacts are on Verizon and such a high percentage of my minutes are covered under in calling. I take more advantage of this than I ever did rollover.

DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM
With a little more than two weeks my phone is dead with no apparent reason.I only wanted to charge but then now it's completely dead.I cannot even power on the darn thing.And with lousy verizon service you will be stuck like me.Please DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I MADE.AVOID THIS PHONE BY ANY MEANS, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S OFFERED BY VERIZON.Terrible, Terrible, Terrible.There is no other way to describe how I feel.I have never come across an electronic product that went dead after two weeks without any damage.NEVER in my life.

One other thing about verizon: I went to one of the stores and this lady tried to give me a refurbished one but then guess what? that phone did not turn on either.I wasted good one hour and half.And she said please bring the box with you and we will exchange with a new one.Today I found out that she thought I bought at one of retail verizon store.So she can only give me a refurbished one.What am I going to do with a refurbished one without any power on?Maybe they think I can just carry the dead cell phone to tell everyone how bad the phone is and how bad service I'm getting.

Anyway, until I resolve my issue, this is the most horrible experience I ever experienced with electronics.I will never buy motorola and possibly avoid verizon but at this point I have no choice.

this a good cell phone
this is a good cell because it is light, takes pictures, and has an mp3 player
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The tri-band Motorola V600 cell phone features Bluetooth connectivity, an integrated VGA digital camera, and MMS with video clip playback. You'll also get "Situational Lights"--a feature that lets you light colors for various types of calls--and much more, all displayed on a large, high-resolution 176 x 220 pixels, 65,000 color interior screen.

The basic Motorola clamshell format continues to provide a solid and attractive option for any dedicated cell phone user. Its steel frame is compact and attractive, (the faceplate-changing capabilities seem a bit unnecessary) and it's loaded with all the essential features you'll need for power usage plus a few bonuses. You may find the volume a bit high out of the box, and it goes into hibernate almost as fast as you can dial a number, but these are minor, adjustable quibbles on a truly stellar phone.

The V600 sports well-placed, well-machined keys, and its compact size does nothing to hinder dialing even for large-fingered users. The solid scroll keys bring you to very intuitive menus presented nicely on a single screen, marked by functional but showier-than-necessary graphics. There are also dedicated external buttons for speaker volume, voice recording, and ring volume.

Messaging and Internet The advanced MMS capabilities built in to the V600 enable users to send, edit, forward, and receive image, text, audio, and video messages over the wireless Internet, to and from compatible phones or PCs. (Messages can run up to 100k in size.) You'll also get instant messaging capability, messaging templates, SMS two-way messaging, conventional email, and predictive text assistance. Beyond messaging, the V600's Internet connectivity lets you access online services such as stock quotes, road directions, airline information, entertainment, and more. You can also download Java applications (version CLDC 1.0, MIDP 2.0, 100k per application limit) for which the phone provides 5 MB total (shared) memory. High-speed data transfer and download round out the package. The V600 supports digital TTY/TDD functionality for the hearing impaired.

Organizer Organizer features include a calendar, calculator with currency converter, date book with event storage, and voice memo. You can also transfer this data to your PC wirelessly via the phone's Bluetooth capability.

We found the V600's appointment scheduling to be right in line with our fairly basic needs. Other than the universal annoyance of pecking out appointment details with the ten-key letter system (there's no QWERTY keyboard here as you'll find on some of the more recent, albeit early-adopter phones) this phone's organizer features provided enough data entry space for any busy person taking these functions seriously, but no more.

Fun and Games For fun, the V600 sports a built-in 640 x 480 pixels integrated digital camera with zoom and brightness adjustment functions. Pictures taken with the camera can be stored in the phone or sent to others via multimedia messaging. The 5 MB of memory available for storing pictures is also shared with whatever wallpapers, screensavers, ring tones, Java applications, or games you may download from the Internet. The V600 also features 24 chord ring tone capability. Users can assign different tones for different callers in the V600's phonebook, and assign separate tones to denote incoming messages, faxes, and reminders. Wireless multiplayer gaming capabilities and two included games, "Bejeweled" and "Stuntman", round out the entertainment perks that ship with this phone.

Conclusions We liked this phone's very basic camera. It was easy to use and worry-free and the device can be accessed instantly from the phone's top level screen menu. From power on, it only took us a moment to take and save a fairly nice picture. However, photo quality is only adequate; about as good as you'd expect for a cell phone circa 2004, as opposed to a dedicated digital camera. We also found the ring tones included with the phone to be generally pleasant, and it was a breeze to assign a custom tone to a number in the phonebook, thanks again to the easy menu system. The included games were basic and fairly fun (at least once). In "Stuntman", the phone's vibrate mode provided road rumble as a little car skidded around a bland, full-color stunt course. But player beware! Once the game starts, the volume becomes LOUD and is not apparently adjustable. Finally, there is a nutty little feature called Motomixer, which lets you modify various settings on little songs that you can download, emulating a very rudimentary, miniature studio console.

In all, we found the Motorola V600 to be a rock solid, highly effective cell phone with attractive and efficient graphic and audio capabilities. We recommend the V600 without reservations for any serious user.

Vital Statistics The Motorola V600's security features include call restrictions, phone lock, and new password capability. The phone weighs 4.4 ounces and measures 3.46 x 1.85 x 0.91 inches. Its lithium-ion batteries are rated at up to 390 minutes talk time, and up to 175 hours standby time. It runs on the GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 frequencies. In the box, you'll receive the V600, instruction manuals, a high capacity li-ion battery, a headset/earbud, and a battery charger.

Availability
This phone is currently one of the most used phones amongst people. I am trying to get this phone from quite a while and that too only on T-mobile plans. But due to the unavailibility of this phone from a long time, I am really not able to make finailze which phone should I go with. If this phone is made available again with T-mobile on Amazon, I will be glad to have it. It is my kind request to you that you make this phone available to your T-mobile customers soon.
Thank you

great phone
This phone is a great phone. it works wonderfully and it is very pretty and sophiticated. it is also durable i have droped mine numerous times and it still works like a charm. i have had other phoen with chrome and the other's chrome have worn off but not this one. it has stayed in wornderful shape. it is an advanced phone even though it doesn't tke any videos. it still has blue toothit is color you can download rings set pictures for when people call and much more. if i had to ay one thing i didn;t like about it, i would say the outside buttons press a little more easily then i would like but that shouldn't be a deterrent from getting this phone because that hasn't been a big problem for me. i hope this reveiw helps you decide which phone to buy!!!!!!

POS
Do not waste your money on this phone.. I think it is possibly the worst phone ever.. I wished I would have done research before I bought it.. My friends have started to make fun of me saying my new favorite word is "Whats that?".. Reception is horrible and sounds like a walkie-talkie.. I'm always checking my phones volume because I usually can't hear anything and it always is the highest it goes.. I've had so many drop calls with this phone too.. I had to call people 4 times before ending up using my house phone... I'll have my phone in my pocket and next thing I know I take it out and have 2 missed calls.. the button is easily switched from vibrate to silent and even when it is on vibrate sometimes it doesn't do it... When I'm on the phone many times it will freeze causing me to take my battery out or other times I will just be browsing on it and the screen will go white and force me to take the battery out.. I've already sent this phone in once due to the camera not working, all the pictures I took where infrared.. This is my first motorola phone so i dunno if its just this phone or all of motorola.. BEWARE...

Great Phone Bad Rebate
The phone works well.Occasional tinny voice on the other end of the line and had an occasional white screen probably in the first week or two of ownership.Great battery-life and reception and options.I sent in the rebate form from Amazon ten weeks ago, and it seems to have disappeared.Don't depend on getting your rebate check.

spare yourself the aggravation...
initially i was pleased with this phone; the camera shoots fairly good outdoor pics (though not indoors), and the phone worked well enough--for a bit, anyway. i've had to have 3 replaced now (and 2 in a 2 week period alone) for what my service provider says are 'software problems' with this phone (they don't even sell them anymore). the keypad--flat, like most phones nowadays, has no separate keys--and i had major problems with the keys being hyper-responsive or non-responsive; i also kept getting error msgs that baffled my ever-competent provider (the phone kept saying my memory was low, and yet i store nothing on it), as well as other problems, too many to enumerate. i'm now switching to samsung, albeit somewhat regrettably, because i did like this phone; but obviously there are 'fatal errors' with the phone itself. in short, think long and hard about getting one (the last one i used for about a half hour before it 'broke' again). you'd think with all the technology at our disposal that a company could make a viable phone that will not die--or even just disappoint you--within a matter of weeks, or, for me, within a half hour. so, buyer beware.
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With Bluetooth, a VGA camera and a large color display, as well as support for high speed data and video capture, the V551 is a powerful mobile companion. It's the perfect complement to Cingular Wireless service.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the V551's features.

The phone features a sleek clamshell design with a large 176 x 220 color display with 65,000 colors. The outside cover of the handset sports a supplementary 96 x 32 blue monochrome display that can display time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. The VGA camera lens and self-portrait mirror is housed above this display. A stub antenna is placed on the top right side of the unit, next to the phone's headset jack. Volume buttons are placed on the left side, while a one-touch camera button is on the right. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's control pad. A combined charging and USB data cable port is placed on the bottom of the phone.

Calling Features The V551's internal phone book can hold up to 1000 contacts while the phone's picture ID system allows you to assign pictures to your most common callers. It also supports polyphonic ringtones as well as MP3 ringers, allowing you to use portions of your favorite songs to alert you to incoming calls. A number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone and more ringtones can be downloaded from Cingular Wireless' MEdia service. There's even an included application, MotoMixer, that lets you mix your own ringtones. For times when you want to be discreet, there's a vibrating alert. A built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear while voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names.

Because the V551 is Bluetooth enabled, wireless headsets can be configured with the phone for total handsfree operation. The phone supports Cingular's "Fast Forward" call forwarding device, which enables you to effortlessly forward your wireless calls to your land-line phone.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The V551 is a messaging and wireless Internet powerhouse. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is also supported via AOL Instant Messenger and the phone ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols (Cingular messaging charges apply). There's also a built-in web browser for MEdia downloads and mobile web browsing. Cingular's MEdia service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the V551. It supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the new, high speed EDGE data protocol. When used with a Cingular data plan and the phone's Bluetooth or USB data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the V551 including a voice memo recorder, a calculator, a calendar and an alarm clock. Use the V551's Bluetooth capability to set up a wireless link with a Bluetooth accessory or connect to a computer or hand-held device to exchange and synchronize data. The phone also supports the SyncML PC synchronization standard, which means it can be used with Motorola's Mobile Phone Tools PC application to manage and synchronize contacts, calendar and other data with your PC.

Imaging and Entertainment The V551 shines in the entertainment department. The phone's VGA camera can capture stills and clips with up to 15 seconds of video, both of which can be sent to your friends via MMS messaging or email, or to your PC via USB or Bluetooth. The phone is capable of MPEG4 video playback when you receive a video message. Meanwhile, an included image-editing application lets you modify the pictures you take before you send picture messages. The V551 also supports custom graphics for wallpapers so you can dress up the phone to suit your fancy.

Support for gaming is built into the phone and games are available for download via the Cingular MEdia service.

Vital Statistics The Motorola V551 weighs 4.23 ounces and measures 3.5 x 1.93 x .97 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.75 hours of digital talk time, and up to 225 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 800/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Lots of features; so-so quality
I've had this phone since Dec. 2004. The first one stopped holding a charge after about 6 weeks. I'd fully charge the phone and a little more than a day later, after no more than 10 minutes of talk time, the thing would be completely dead. I contacted Cingular and they shipped me a replacement very quickly.

The replacement phone holds a charge much better (6 days), but the battery-life indicator doesn't follow an even path. It shows a full charge for several days, then goes to 2 bars of charge, and then dead, all but skipping 1 bar.

The sound quality is about average. I like and use the speakerphone. Turns out I don't use some of the other features (Bluetooth, camera) as much as I expected.

Annoyingly often, the phone doesn't ring when I have an incoming call, even when I'm in an area with a strong signal. Instead, I get the "missed call" beep about 15-45 after the call occurred.

This is my third cell phone, and overall I like this phone better than my second phone but not as well as the first.

Beware of Cingular Pricing and Sales
If I had not been careful, I could have paid Cingular anywhere from $25-100 for this phone within a two day period. Cingular has a serious lack of conformity between it's business units. The online price for this phone was different than the price offered by the business sales group, and different from the one offered at an official Cingular store... and I would have never known about the $50 rebate that was posted two days after I had purchased a qualifying phone if I had not happened to peruse the Cingular website. The transaction to convert 5 individual lines into a single family plan took about 4 hours to complete over the phone after being bounced from department to department.

The phone itself is fine and the camera is more usable than I had expected it to me.

Buy direct.
Buy this phone from somewhere else -- Amazon will delay dispatching the phone and then fail to send the information to Cingular to activate the phone. The Activation instructions included with the phone are be wrong, Amazon's customer service reps will tell you wrong information to activate the phone. If you realize this you will not be able to use Cingular's automated activation service because of the first problem and it will be well over a week before you get a working phone.

bad
wen i got dis fone i wuz impressed i tought i wusnt gonna like it but its very stylish no dought about dat overall the fone does have good reception n it has wonderful the bestes speaker..but den the fone iz xtremely fat its very heavey n wen it vibrates its very annoyin u hear the vibration more den the ring video records r like 10 seconds the keppads r 2 wide so i returned it for the samsung p207 which iz an awsome fone

I love it
I have had it just a week now and I have yet recharged the battery. Maybe they fixed it? Yes I do talk on the phone. I was also able to use it to check my gmail, hotmail and my works email. Could get on AIM and ICQ with no problem. Camera takes ok pictures for a cell phone. Best I have seen so far. The mp3s sound great over the speaker and the speaker phone is pretty clear. Clarity is hardly an issue. Voice recording is easy...good for those sudden thoughts.

Overview Compatible with T-Mobile cell phone service, the Motorola V300 features an Internet browser, integrated VGA digital camera, MMS text messaging, and more, all displayed on a large, high-resolution 176 x 220 pixel, 65,000 color screen. The V300's clamshell design also provides a 96 x 32 pixel, two line external screen, which displays caller ID, date, time, and various status icons (including text message waiting, voice message waiting, battery and signal strength, and voice and message mail, among others) without users having to open the phone. There's even a blue backlight for nighttime viewing.

Assign pictures to everyone in your phonebook and havephoto caller id every time your phone rings

Calling Features Used simply as a phone, the V300 features a compelling, ergonomic design and a 4-way scroll key for easy menu navigation. Primary calling features include speech recognition, which allows users to speak a pre-saved name, number, or function and the phone will call it up automatically; as well as an integrated speakerphone, auto redial notification, call forwarding, call waiting, hold, alternate line/dual name, turbo dial keys (2-9), ringer/vibrate suppress, multiple call timers,multiple key answer, vibrate mode, memory for last numbers dialed and received, and a phone book of up to 1000 entries, including Personal Information Manager (PIM) functionality with picture caller ID.

Messaging and Internet

The V300 has instant messaging with real-time chat.

Mobile messaging features are fairly standard: via MMS, users can send, edit, forward, and receive image and text messages to and from compatible phones or PCs. Images and ring tones received via MMS can be saved in phone's handy image gallery.There's also instant messaging capability, conventional email, and built-in iTAP software, which provides predictive text assistance. The V300 supports TTY functionality for the hearing impaired.

The V300's built-in Microbrowser also gives users wireless Mobile Internet access to directions, stock quotes, airline information, entertainment, and more. Users can also download MP3 polyphonic ring tones, wallpapers, and other applications and games. Two games, Bejeweled and Prince of Persia, are included with the phone.

Organizer

Organizer features include a 1000 contact phone book with photo caller ID, a date book, and Mobile Phone Tools compatibility, which (combined with software that is sold separately) lets users create, edit, and synchronize date book and phonebook entries with your PC.

The V300 can use polyphonic Mp3s for ringtones--use one ofthe 21 pre-loaded sounds, or make your own with the online mixer.

Fun and Games For fun, the V300's integrated digital camera includes zoom and brightness adjustment functions, as well as 5 MB of memory for picture storage or for saving wallpapers, screensavers, ring tones, and games downloaded from the Internet. Ringtones are supported by a 22 KHz polyphonic speaker with 24 chord capability. Users can also assign different tones for different callers saved the V300's phonebook, and for messages, faxes, and reminders.

Vital Statistics The Motorola V300's security features include call restrictions, keypad lock, phone lock, application lock, and new password capability. The phone weighs 4.3 ounces and measures3.5 x 1.93 x 1 inches. Its Lithium Ion batteries are rated at up to 390 hours talk time, and up to 200 hours standby time.

Don't take T-Mobile
I rarely say anything is bad but trust me on this one I live in Atlanta and T-mobile service is very-very Bad here. It is not me but atleast seven of my close friends experience. You will not get signal if you get signal you will get Network busy. I have no complain about v300 phone. It is excellent but good phone can't help you if service provider (T-mobile) is so bad. My friends have different phone but all of us face same problem

No signal or Network busy. T-mobile is very bad

Went Through 3 already
This phone SUCKS.I Have had to return two phones already and my third phone is already broken.The earpiece in the headset just stops working and you have to use speakerphone all the time in order to hear people.I never dropped any of my phones and always carried them in the holster given to me by t-mobile, yet they still stopped working.PIECE OF CRAP!!!!!

Very Disappointed
I also bought this phone right when it came out and spent about $180 on it even though I was a T-Mobile customer for years by then. Two years later and I've finally gotten so fed up with it that I had to get a new phone. My phone's demise was that I couldn't hear anyone anymore. It started off as a small problem about a year ago...I couldn't hear people on select calls and it was only for a few seconds before the sound kicked in. Now, I can only hear someone if I put them on speaker phone.

When I first got the phone, I had a lot of issues with it freezing. I called Customer Service, and they informed me that it was because I downloaded ringtones off of their website and my phone couldn't handle that. They wanted to completely wipe out all of the ring tones and pictures I had on my phone and reset it, after I had spent the money to purchase the ringtones off of their site. They finally agreed to give me a credit for the ringtones I had purchased before wiping them out. That seemed to clear up the problem, but then I had to use one of the phone's undesirable ringtones.

Also, when using the camera feature, I would often have a big red dot in the center of my picture. I thought it was the lense, but, I took it to a T-Mobile store, and they told me that there was something wrong internally with the phone and I needed to contact Motorola. Of course, they told me I probably had something on my lense, so I just stopped using the camera part of the phone since my year warranty was up.

When I called T-Mobile to get a new phone, they informed me that I had gotten a DEAL (spending $180 on a phone for it only to last 2 years) because it lasted a year longer than the manufacturer thought it would last.

Overall, I would not reccommend getting this phone. While I put up with the problems for a while because I spent so much on it, it absolutely was NOT worth it.

Horrible technology in this phone
I bought the v300 when it first came out, for $200 or so.A year and a half, and 4 replacement phones later, I am incredibly unsatisfied.I have had problems with the phone(s) from day one.On the first 2 phones, the battery eventually stopped charging up (within the first 2 months of purchase).On the second 2 phones, the phones screen would not work.

I love the look, weight, and structual durablility of this phone.But, the technology was worthless.Do not buy this phone

Went through 2 of the same phones
The first one busted in 2 weeks, I received a replacement, then the second one (same model) busted 6 months later.

The problem was the same, I couldn't hear the person that was talking on the other end.
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With Bluetooth, expandable MultiMediaCard memory, an FM radio, and support for EDGE high speed data, streaming video and video recording, the Nokia 6230 is a svelte powerhouse. For mobile Internet users and those who crave high end features, this phone delivers all the goodies in a tidy, unassuming package.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the 6230's features.

At first glance, the 6230 looks like just another candybar phone from Nokia. Looks can be deceiving, though, as this phone packs a lot under the hood. The large 128 x 128 pixels TFT color display dominates the front of the phone and a five-way button just below it controls most of the phone's menus and features. The phone's 8 MB internal memory can be expanded using the MMC card slot located in the battery compartment (the phone ships with a 32MB card). Charging and data ports are placed on the phone's bottom edge. The 6230 also features a standard 2.5mm stereo headphone jack. The 6230 uses an internal antenna-- nothing to snag or break off. The VGA camera unit is housed on the back of the phone. Up/down volume keys are located on the left side. Finally, Nokia provides optional changeable faceplates for the 6230.

Calling Features The 6230 boasts some powerful calling functions that make it a perfect part of a mobile office. A speakerphone makes it easy to converse without touching the handset-- a big plus for car users. Enhanced voice dialing supports voice controlled dialing of up to 25 contacts. There are also 16 built-in voice commands for controlling the phone's menus. Because the 6230 is Bluetooth enabled, wireless headsets can be configured with the phone for total handsfree operation. The phone supports Cingular's "Fast Forward" call forwarding device, which enables you to effortlessly forward your wireless calls to your land line phone.

The 6230's internal and expandable flash memory can be used to hold up to 1000 contacts for quick access to email addresses and phone numbers. The phone lets you easily assign pictures to your most common callers. In addition to vibrating alerts, the phone supports polyphonic ringtones as well as MP3 ringers, allowing you to use portions of your favorite songs to alert you to incoming calls. Ringtones and pictures can be assigned to various incoming callers. Twenty-four ringtones come preloaded on the phone and more ringtones can be downloaded from Cingular's MEdia wireless web service.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The 6230 is a top contender in the messaging and wireless Internet arena. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is also supported via AOL instant messenger and the phone ships with a built-in email client with POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols support (Cingular messaging charges apply). There's also a built-in web browser for MEdia downloads and mobile web browsing. Cingular's MEdia service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the 6230. It supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the new, high speed EDGE data protocol. When used with a Cingular data plan and the phone's Bluetooth or USB data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the 6230 including a voice memo recorder, a calculator with unit and currency converters, a calendar with monthly views, a to-do list with priority levels, and an alarm clock with snooze. Via download on its Web site, Nokia offers a free application called PC Suite that facilitates easy synchronization of contacts, calendar events and other data between the phone and your PC. Synchronization is possible using Bluetooth or a USB data cable.

Imaging and Entertainment Because the 6230 shines in the entertainment department. The phone's VGA camera can capture stills and video, both of which can be sent to your friends via MMS messaging or email, or to your PC via USB or Bluetooth. An included image-editing application lets you modify the pictures you take before you send them. Three minutes of video capture is possible with the 6230 as is streaming video, so long as you have a data service that supplies video content. With an optional stereo headset, you can listen to tunes on the phone's built-in FM radio or to MP3 or AAC audio files stored on a memory card. The phone also supports custom themes and wallpapers.

Java support is built into the 6230, making it a powerful gaming companion for both online and offline games. The phone ships with two games, Beach Rally II, Golf. Multiplayer gaming via Bluetooth is supported and more games are available via the Cingular MEdia service.

Vital Statistics The Nokia 6230 weighs 3.42 ounces and measures 4.06 x 1.73 x 0.79 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of digital talk time, and up to 9.4 days of digital standby time. It runs on the 800/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

A phone that has just about everything.
This phone is great!It is bluetooth enabled, it's small and easy to use. The phone takes pretty good quality pictures and it has video recording for up to 15 sec. and it has a radio! It's an awesome phone. If you want a reliable and fun phone this is the one to have.

Excellent Phone
I bought this phone after reading through the reviews at Amazon. I am very content with this. The pros of this phone have been extensively discussed in the older reviews. I would like to re-iterate them anyway

pros

1.excellent call reception relative to my old t610 (i switched carriers as well, so it could vary based on your location)
2.good speakerphone - loud and clear
3.nice decent camera (in my opinion - people should go for a digital camera if they need hi-resoultion photos)
4.small and sleek, lightweight
5.nice big display, even visible in bright sun-light
6.bluetooth is cool - you dont have to pay anything to use this. if you have a bluetooth adapter (in your computer),you can connect your cellphone through the adapter. you can copy *any* mp3 - downloaded from *anywhere* and use it as ringtone - absolutely ***no extra cost** to pay to cingular. not jst mp3 - you can copy pictures, games and other applications downloaded from internet - just google it.

(if you need bluetooth adapterd for computer, check out DBT-120 from Dlink. There are other adapters too. So this is just a suggestion)

cons

1.back cover of cellphone feels fragile. wish it was more sturdy
2.joystick little clumpsy - i still have to learn to use it. it is 5-way, but getting to click the center is difficult. you might click 'up' or 'down' instead of 'center' especially if you have a larger thumb
3.Nice to have feature like 'customizable ring-tones for specific callers' is not available

Good Phone with Features for Borderline Nerd
I use the bluetooth feature to transfer music, images, videos between my phone and my laptop.If you have Windows XP SP 2 on your computer, you must disable its Bluetooth software and use the software for your bluetooth device.There's a guide that helps you on the net, just google it.The latest Nokia software suite will let you manage your memory card and application installation from your computer.I also use it to connect to the internet either through cable (133kbps bandwidth entire connection with Cingular MediaWorks) or bluetooth (54kbps bandwidth).Please note that this is not the rate that you are connected to internet, but the rate that you are connected to thephone, internet connection is more like 16-40k, close to 56k modem.Enough to browse emails.Ok, enough about this.

Cons:
1. Speakerphone died within a month.
2. Screen too small.
3. Hard to open back plate, latch is not intuitive.
4. Battery life is fair.

Love it!
of course I bought this phone 5-7-05, so I don't really have that much info on it.If you're not into "exploring" the features of this phone, you're in for a lot of fun.This is not user friendly. .. even after reading the instructions in the manuel.On the other hand, this phone is packed w/ features I'm dying to try out. The camera quality is awesome and it's pretty sweet that you can have video w/ good sound quality! You can't zoom in to take a picture but you can zoom in on the picture after it is taken.You can rename the pictures. There aren't many ring tones so you're going to have to download though blue tooth... which is 3 cents per kb. So if you have a long song or picture that is 100kb.. that's $10.Yeah, it doesn't seem so bad - until you get the bill.
Phones tend to have problems w/in 3 months so I'll update this then.So far I'm very satisified and it beats the heck out of any motorola I have ever had! too bad I hate cingular. =(

-speaker phone works awesome
-I like how the pic of the person calling me is on the lower right of my wallpaper
-there is a calender with reminders of b-days, meetings, notes
-light phone (get a thumb crap from the small key pad)
-doens't look cheap

Missing the i
No doubt this is the classiest feature packed phone Nokia has. And I was all excited about buying at the cost of transferring my service from T-Mobile to Cingular. Then Nokia announced 6230i, removing all the drawbacks of the 6230 Eg: Bigger screen (208*208) as opposed to 128*128. A 32mb card (6230 has 8mb). and the camera res goes up from .3 Mp to 1.3 Mp!!! If u ask me im content with my ol faithful 8290 till some service provider releases the 6230i. Coz I cannot buy 6230 knowing theyve enhanced it, that too for a good reason.
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Star Wars fans rejoice! You can now get your z500a phone that comes preloaded with exclusive Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith content. Included are a C-3PO voice tone, TIE Fighter sound effect tone, Classic Trilogy Heroes exclusive graphic, Darth Maul graphic, demo version of downloadable game: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and a video clip of the AT-AT Approach scene--plus, you get access to download even more.

Incredible style meets powerful substance in this clamshell from Sony-Ericsson. With dual screens, a VGA camera with video capabilities and support for high-speed EDGE data networks, the z500a is a serious next-generation phone. It's the perfect handset for folks who want to get all the latest wireless goodies in one chic package.

Design Sony-Ericsson's reputation for cutting edge design has been brought into the clamshell arena with the z500a. There's a 128 x 160 display housed under the cover while the outside sports a supplementary 96 x 32 color display that can display time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. The VGA (640 x 480) camera is housed on the front cover as well. The z500a uses an internal antenna-- nothing to snag or break off-- and a five-way button just above the dial pad is used to control most of the phone's menus and features. Up/down buttons on the left side of the phone can be used for quick volume control and menu navigation. USB data and charging ports, as well as a headset port, are located on the phone's bottom edge. And because the z500a's front and rear faceplates are changeable with Sony-Ericsson Style-Up covers, you can dress it up to suit your style.

Exclusive Darth Maul graphic.

Exclusive Classic Trilogy graphic.

Calling Features The z500a's phone book can hold up to 510 contacts with multiple entries per contact. A call list remembers your most recent missed, received and dialed calls. The z500a's voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names. The phone also features a speakerphone for easy, hands-free talking. In addition to a vibrating alert, the phone supports polyphonic ringtones as well as MP3 ringers, allowing you to use portions of your favorite songs to alert you to incoming calls. There's even a bundled application that lets you mix your own ringtones with up to 16 tracks. Meanwhile, more ringtones can be downloaded from Cingular's MEdia wireless web service. Picture caller ID lets you assign a photo to specific callers. Similarly, a ringer ID lets you assign ringtones to callers. Lastly, the phone supports Cingular's "Fast Forward" call forwarding device, which enables you to effortlessly forward your wireless calls to your land line phone.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The z500a has all the bases covered when it comes to messaging. Support is built in for sending and receiving text, video, graphics and sound via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. AOL Instant Messenger is also included and the phone ships with a built-in email client (Cingular messaging charges apply). The email client is preconfigured for accounts from some of the most popular ISPs, including Bellsouth.net, SBC Yahoo, and Earthlink.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the z500a. It supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the new, high speed EDGE data protocol. When used with a Cingular data plan and the phone's USB data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs. There's also a built-in web browser for MEdia downloads and mobile web browsing. Cingular's MEdia service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. T9 text entry, a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the z500a including a voice memo recorder, a calculator, a calendar, and an alarm clock with a timer and stopwatch. Sony Ericsson Sync Station software lets you synchronize your Microsoft Outlook calendar, contacts, notes and tasks with your z500a.

Imaging and Entertainment The z500a was designed for serious fun. The built-in VGA camera captures stills and video to the phone's 6MB of internal memory. Video capture length is only limited by the amount of available storage memory and the phone supports playback of both MP3 audio and MPEG4 video files. Picture effects and custom screensavers, backgrounds, and themes can be set up to fit your personality.

Java support is built into the z500a, making it a powerful gaming companion for both online and offline games. Games are downloadable via the MEdia service or you can use the handset's USB data connection to load more games and files onto the phone.

Vital Statistics The Sony-Ericsson z500a weighs 3.88 ounces and measures 3.66 x 1.93 x 0.94 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 10 hours of digital talk time, and up to 10 days of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM/GPRS 850/1800/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Not satisfied - May be my expection was high
Bad things about the phone:

1) Key pad - As the keys are not elevated from the flat surface, it is very difficult to press the keys. Mainly when I use the calling cards to call, where I need to dial the pin no and telephone numbers, many times the keys are not getting pressed properly and I need to cancel and make the call again. Many times It is very disguisting.

2) As per the sony erricson web site, it has stand by backup of 300 hours. But after charging for the whole night (it shows full), if I use the phone for around 2 hours talk time, the battery will drain out in 3 days. This is one of the main feature made me to buy this instrument. (May be the battery I have is not good)

I have used this phone only for calling and text messaging.

Good things about this phone.

1) Is a good looking phone
2) Has good sound quality

If you seek poor quality, this is for you
I purchased this phone to replace my outdated TDMA/AT&T Wireless Nokia phone, after using the Z500A for about a week I returned it. Here is what was wrong with this phone:

1. It felt extra-cheap. I felt like if I dropped it, it could break easily. Plus, I like keeping my cell phone in my pocket rather than on a belt clip -- and excessive lint found its way INSIDE THE SCREEN within THREE (3) DAYS... (It took about 2 years for that to happen on my other phone)

2. The battery life is very poor; expect very frequent recharges required.

3. The reception was awful. I had to leave my house to get a signal OUTSIDE of my home (i haven't had to do that with any other phone)

4. It's bulky. Compared to my new phone (which I highly recommend a Samsung x427M) this thing feels like a roll of quarters in your pocket. It's big, bulky and heavy.

The only reason I'm giving this thing 1 Star is for its few multimedia features. You can assign certain ringtones to certain people or record your own ringtone via voice memo. Plus it has a speakerphone -- which I found to actually be necessary when placing calls because the volume at just a standard level is very poor.

Great Phone
This is the best phone I've ever had.I've had a few Nokias in the past that didn't do anything special.The camera is convenient (espescially in places where you aren't supposed to bring cameras).The Sony Ericsson organizer is sort of like a PalmPilot and very easy to use.The special feature like AIM, e-mail, and internet access are also very convenient.My favorite features are the available MobiTV and the MapQuest subscription.The phone just has so many convenitent feature, most of them I thought I would never use, but now I don't know how I lived without them!

fancy phone, games, EDGE, with one goal, rip you off
Bad things about the phone:
1) Bad camera quality
2) calling card feature under T610 (T616) was removed. Compared to the programmable 1-touch calling card call, you have to dial phone card access number, pin code, international destination (011+xxxxxxxxxxxx). It's stupid for SONY Ericsson to do that.Maybe under the instruction of Cingular, so that you can use their pricy international long-distance.
3) Speaker has to be activated during conversation. Two button-presses are needed. Inconvenient.
4) Cingular would not unlock the phone for you, period!
5) Downloading a MP3 ringtone costs $2.5, plus 3 cents per Bytes Internet for data transfer. They ripped me off $7.6 for using the freaking fast EDGE Internet for downloading a $2.5 ringtone, plus tax.
6) As the first flip phone from SE, it looks stylish, but at closer look, it doesn't look better or solid than other flip phones in the market. Everything is plastic and no metal feel.

Good things about the phone:
1) Compared to other phones in the market, this one has a long battery life.
2) Clear voice quality.
3) Relatively faster compared to some advanced models, i.e. Nokia 6600.

Conclusion:

I go for Nokia 6600 with T-Mobile. T-Mobile unlocks a phone for you "free" (nothing is actually free in this country) every 90 days. 6600 is not a flip phone, a little bit slow, but very solid in everything. Cingular will attract you with the largest library of fancy phones with 2 years contract on Amazon and later on rip you off with different ways, ringtones, games, EDGE data transfer, etc. That's the way they do business and survive, unfortunately. Since you have to go to the "black market" to unlock the phone, untill you sell or unlock the phone, you are stucked with Cingular.

Okay phone, if you don't care for accessories
We spent a lot of time trying to decide between this phone and the Motorola V551. We went with this one because of the extra Cingular rebates.Overall, this is an okay phone.It has a lot of extra media features with it.But we've had a hard time trying to get headsets and other accessories for it. Sony Ericsson's collection is very small compared to Motorola's library OEM of headsets, holsters, and other stuff.

We also found it a little uncomforatable to use at times.The buttons are very flush with the phone.So, they can be difficult to punch at times.Response to typing is delayed considerably. That's bad if you're fast phone typist (I'm not, but my brother is).

In the end I give it two stars.Good for general use, and the free Star Wars tickets.If I'd have to do it over again, I get the Motorola v551.
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The PalmOne Treo 650 boasts all the legendary features of the venerable Treo 600, plus a whole lot more. Now with Bluetooth, a higher resolution screen, a removable battery, and an improved keyboard, the Treo 650 is once again on the cutting edge of Smartphone technology. It offers all the functionality of a high-end Palm OS-powered PDA, a cell phone and a VGA camera. Simply put, it's the ultimate mobile office companion.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the Treo 650's features.

Under the hood, the Treo 650 features Palm OS 5.4, 32MB of RAM (23MB available for end user storage), and an Intel PXA270 312 MHz processor. The design retains the same popular form factor as the Treo 600 with a few subtle, yet significant, changes. The unit's screen has been dramatically enhanced to support 320 x 320 resolution and the full QWERTY keypad has been redesigned for greater ease of use. The top of the unit features an expansion card slot for SD and MMC-based memory and expansion cards. There's also an infrared port here for line of sight data transfers, as well as a handy switch for turning off the phone's ringer. A five-way navigator controls most of the phone's menus and operating system functions, while quick application buttons on either side of the navigator get you to your favorite applications in a snap. The left side of the unit features a volume up/down toggle plus a handy user-customizable button that can be assigned to any phone or PDA function. The rear of the Treo 650 houses a loudspeaker, as well as the VGA (640x480) camera unit. A touchscreen stylus can be tucked away on the right side of the phone. Meanwhile, a combined charging, data, and accessory attachment port is housed on the bottom of the unit, as is a standard 2.5 mm stereo headset jack.

Calling and PDA Features All the of the Treo 650's phone and PDA functions are designed to provide an integrated, seamless experience. For instance, you can type in the name or initials of a contact on the keypad to dial them. Or, use the touchscreen and stylus to copy information from an email and quickly paste it into another email or text message. All of the latest phone features folks expect are built-in, too, like a handsfree speakerphone, polyphonic ringtones, a vibrate mode and picture caller ID. The capacity of the unit's address book is only limited by the amount of internal and expansion memory available. Use the Treo 650's Bluetooth capability to wirelessly sync your contacts with your PC or Mac (yes, Mac!). Headsets, car kits and other wireless peripherals can also be paired with the unit via Bluetooth.

The Treo 650 is also a fully functional Palm OS device. That means that a huge library of applications, from spreadsheets to word processors to games, can be added to the Treo 650. It's easy to perform multiple tasks like checking your calendar while talking on the phone or dialing calls directly from your contacts list. Familiar Palm OS software ships with the handset including calendar, calculator, clock, contacts, memo, and task management applications. Real Player for video and MP3 playback, VersaMail email client, and DataViz Documents to Go for mobile access to spreadsheets and text documents, are also included.

The unit's memory expansion slot allows you to transfer music, photos, and video from your desktop. Or, use it to load additional games and applications.

Messaging and Internet The device fully supports SMS and MMS messaging for rapid exchange of pictures, text and video via Cingular's instant messaging system. Other Cingular services are also supported, such as mobile email and web browsing. The Treo 650's web browser supports full-size web pages, and you can enter secure pages with 128-bit SSL encryption. POP3 email accounts provided by SBC, BellSouth, Yahoo, Earthlink, Comcast and AT&T Worldnet are all compatible with the 650's email client application. IMAP and Exchange-based email systems are also supported, and you can view photos, HTML, Word, Excel and PowerPoint attachments.

Vital Statistics The PalmOne Treo 650 weighs 6.30 ounces and measures 4.40 x 2.30 x .90 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 6 hours of digital talk time, and up to 300 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 800/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

I love it!
One person might love a PDA/phone, another hate it. I love this one and here are a bunch of reasons why:
1) I had a cell phone stolen and I lost all those numbers on the CIM. I thought, "Why not just buy a palm-phone and avoid re-entering them all?" Setup was as easy as a notsync.
2) The Palm Contacts app integrates seamlessly with the phone portion, asking if you want to add new callers to the contact database each time. Plus you can very easily scroll through the entire call log and dial with a few button strokes.
3) I got over $100 off on rebates from Cingular. The service has been phenomenal.
4) The bluetooth ability has been welcomed. I love the freedom for driving and using a computer. NO MORE EARPIECE CABLES!
5) Battery life is very good, even with blue tooth.
6) There's a switch to disable all sound at the top of the unit. This is a welcome feature since I do so many meetings.
7) I always have a camera with me now. The camera is surprisingly good and will take films also.

To sum up, this gadget is a dream to a Systems Consultant. It's my 4th Palm and my 8th cel phone and I don't plan to part with it soon. I also recently dropped it while running across a parking lot and it just reset itself and was fine.

Great Phone - Great Provider
First, let me state that I am not a consumer user on Cingular.While it is my personal cell phone, I got an employee discount plan with Cingular.So, the one time I've had to make a customer service call to Cingular, I used their business customer service number and got immediate and usefull help.Plus, Rollover minutes and the great coverage really do make Cingular worth it.I can get a single for both calls and data in so many places were other providers don't work at all.

As for the phone, I love it.I've had it about 3 months now (bought it direct from Cingular when it came out) and as time passes, I use it more and more.There are a few programs for the phone you can purchase that I feel should be included, such as voice dialing.But all in all, it does just about everything I want it to and more.

Great PDA Phone despite Amazon Reviews
There are many on amazon giving horrible reviews for this phone and influenced me to hold off purchasing the Treo for some time.However, after much deliberation, I decided I could wade through the technical problems others had.THANK GOD!Not only did Amazon improve the in stock availability of the phone, so you receive it in less than 2 days, I have easily integrated all of my previous phone, palm, and computer information into one handy do it all machine.Do your research if you plan to buy this phone and look for other reviewers.There are sites that specifically review Treo's as well as providing extensive helpfull information to improve your experience.

There are three problems I have encountered, two of which (and most likely the cause of third) seem to be a problem with the locked palm software.

1.Is the bluetooth for wireless headsets has a volume issue and requires a patch to improve the headset volume.The problem is that if you exit the call screen to look at your schedule etc, while on the phone, the patch no longer works and the volume drastically decreases.This is a software glitch from palm and there is no known correction at the present time.

2.The palm comes preloaded with Real Player.The installation CD requires you set up your real player on your computer for easier access to all your media files.The problem is that I can not get the audio to work on any video files that I record or synch to my palm.Not quite where the problem is unless I'm missing codecs therefore I'm not sure of a fix.

3.I have experienced a few soft resets when fiddling with various phone settings.I'm not quite sure of the specific problem but I imagine it is the way the new flash drive works on this palm or it could be a software glitch. It happens very infrequently and I have never experienced a reset out of the blue.

Even with these problems and they are minor, the bluetooth being the most annoying, I can not be happier with the Treo.My pockets are empty and I have my phone, mp3, and pda all in one. Like I said, do your research and dont base your purchase solely on the reviews on Amazon.

Much Better Than I Thought (After Reading These Reviews)
Don't let the reviews on Amazon scare you if you're considering this phone!I purchased it, and after a billing issue was quickly resolved by Cingular's customer service, I was enjoying crystal-clear call quality.I then left on a vacation to the eastern United States and the call quality was great in both urban and rural settings. The icing on the cake is when I used Treo's email feature to close a valuable deal for my company!This is a great phone -- packed with useful features.You won't regret buying it.

Best smart phone/PDA you can buy
Smart phones do three things:PDA functions, phone and e-mail.Blackberry probably does e-mail best of all, but the Treo is great for people who want a PDA with good phone capabilities.There are better phones, but they don't do the PDA job as well.And the Treos run Palm software, so there are vast numbers of add-on programs you can buy.

I've had a Treo 600 for a year and recently upgraded to a 650.The PDA/phone integration on the Treo is superb -- you synch all your contacts with Outlook, find them easily on the PDA and then you can dial them with the push of a button.All the wirelss carries except Nextel have it available (April '05).

The main difference between the Treo 600 and 650 is the 650's high resolution screen.On the 600 it was hard to read maps clearly except zoomed in.The 650 cures that.The keyboard is also improved vs. the 600, although you still have to use your thumbs and trim your nails.But the keyboard is a lot more accurate and versatile than Graffiti.(Graffiti doesn't come with the Treo but you can buy Jot as an add-on.)And the 650 has Bluetooth capabilty so you can use a Bluetooth wireless headset.Palm changed to fixed memory in the 650 so you don't lose your data even if the battery runs out.

The web browsing capability is OK in a pinch, like when you want to find a flight or the weather or get a Mapquest map or a phone #.Memory is adequate but not overly generous.Buy an SD card to store large files (maps, in my case) and MP3 files.Also buy an add-on security program like Teallock - Palm's built-in security application is weak and clumsy to use.

All in all, the Treo has everything you could want if your priorites are PDA - phone - e-mail (in that order).It lacks WiFi capability for web browsing and e-mail at hot spots, but maybe that will be available in the next version, or maybe the carriers will have deployed high speed digital cellular technology by then.
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This flagship phone from LG has it all: Twin, full color screens, a rotating camera with video and still image capability, and the ability to send videos to your friends via built-in messaging technology. The VX7000 is sure to be the star of the show as its improved, user-friendly interface means easier, faster access to messaging and other advanced features, so you won't miss any of the action.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the VX7000's features.

The phone features a sleek clamshell design with a very large 176 x 220 TFT color display with a stunning 262,000 colors. The outside cover of the handset sports a supplementary 96 x 96 color display that can display photos, images, time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. A camera flash is located just above this display. The camera unit is located at the top of the phone case and features a unique swiveling design, making it possible to capture self portraits with ease.

Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's blue backlit control pad, which features adjustable brightness. Meanwhile, the top right side of the unit houses an antenna while the USB-capable data and charging port is housed on the unit's bottom edge. There's a standard jack to accept universal hands-free headsets on the left side of the handset.

Calling Features The VX7000's built-in address book can store up to 500 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and email addresses. The phone comes with 20 built-in polyphonic ringtones plus a vibrating alert. Voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names. There's also support for three-way conference calling support. The speed dialing feature allows you to dial up to 99 numbers virtually instantaneously. A built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear and the VX7000's GPS location technology pinpoints your exact location when you dial 911.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The VX7000 features cutting edge support for mobile-to-email video messaging, which allows you to send video clips captured by the phone to email accounts using Apple's Quicktime video codec. Instant messaging, as well as MMS messages that can contain text and pictures, are also supported. When used in combination with the phone's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet anywhere is easy with the VX7000, as well. Verizon's optional Mobile Web package allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. You can check your e-mail, trade stocks online, compare prices while shopping, access flight information, get movie listings and find directions to the theater.

Verizon's Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with the VX7000. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads and digital photo-sharing tools using the Get It Now service.

The VX7000 ships with a calendar and scheduler, a voice memo application with up to 4 minutes of record time, and a notepad. An alarm clock, calculator and world clock are also included, as is the very handy restaurant tip calculator. Never dine without it!

Imaging and Entertainment The VX7000 is a digital imaging and mobile video powerhouse. The 640 x 480 camera features a digital zoom, color effects controls (normal, antique, black and white, negative), a rotating lens for self-portraits and white balance adjustment. The camera can be set to one of three quality levels (low, medium, high) and there's also a shutter self timer. The built-in flash with night mode makes it easier to get quality shots in low-light situations. The VX7000's video department allows it to capture up to 31 15-second video clips in Quicktime format.

LG didn't forget to include support for gaming on the VX7000. The phone is BREW enabled, meaning it supports games written on the BREW platform and many games are available via the Get It Now service. The phone also features customizable fonts and built-in screen backgrounds so you can make your phone reflect your personality.

Vital Statistics The LG VX7000 weighs 3.88 ounces and measures 3.69 x 1.89 x 0.98 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 198 minutes of digital talk time, and up to 180 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800 frequency. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Wow!
Great phone and great Verizon service. I had t-mobile with a Samsung and dropped at least 5 calls a day. I have only dropped one call with this phone in the 3 weeks I have had it. Such an improvement. I dont have to worry if that business call will be dropped again!

The Great:
1) Reception, reception, reception.
2) Lots of neat gadgets including a cool phone.
3) Stays charged forever. The longest has been about 3 days and then it was only 1/2 uncharged.

The not so good:
1) I would like it if the front light would stay on all the time to show the clock. That is no real problem at all.

Overall, I am very happy with this phone and the extra couple of dollars for Verizon service is well worth it!

Great Phone
Although the LG VX7000 is my first personal phone I could say it is one of the best I have ever used. I have had experience with pretty much all the verizon LG phones and this is pretty much the best in the 0-150$ price range. One of its best features is its crisp display. The display is signaficantly better than the LG 6100 which is primarily a camera phone. This phones has the basic verizon set up, contacts,get it now, etc. Its too bad its voice dial feature is pretty bad.The phone cannot tell the difference between Ned and Ted and only has voice contacts not settings, driving mode, etc. If you really want that then get the LG VX6100. In conclusion a great all around phone.

VX7000 second thoughts
Think again before purchasing this phone.I bought it because the Consumer Report had it as #1.They were joking.It is bulky, display is for almost blind with font #46 letters, it has ugly graphics and limited features for programming our options.The reception is average, it doesn't work inside the house, but gets 3 bars on the driveway(?)(Friend's other phones work just fine inside).With the cover light, which is right above the front display you could control the traffic on the bussiest intersection in your town, it is really bright, ugly and tottaly not cool.I have never seen anything like this - what did they think off?But what pisses me off the most is that these lights flash to let you know that the battery is low - which I consider somehow stupid because it is draining your battery even faster.So I give it 2 at the most.

>>> LG VX7000 Is A Magnificent Cell Phone <<<
I just got my LG VX7000 and I have to say that this cell phone is the best I have ever had.I am new to the Verizon network and I must say that getting paid $50 to get the phone is a nice perk.

The screen is really big and very, very vibrant and colorful.It looks like an LCD laptop screen of LCD TV screen.It is really bright, big, and awesome!Compare it to other color screen phones, from only a year ago and see how this phone's screen is so much better!

The amount of memory that it has is really great as well!I have about 15 MP3 ringtones on the phone (which I made with 160 bit quality) and the phone doesn't seem to be maxxed out of memory.The sounds of the ringtones sound really great, considering the phone has a small speaker to play them from.

I have been getting all of my ringtones and images from www.MP3Ringtones4U.com - it only has a one time fee of $12 and you get all of the ringtones and images that you want!And, if they are not on the site, the webmaster (Alex) will create the ringtones for you (in under a day), exactly how you request them.The site is really amazing and is like none other (customer service-wise) I have ever used.It is totally worth it and highly recommended!It also has tutorials and other little tricks that you can do with your phone.

I must warn people that the "3-Piece Accessory Kit" being sold on Amazon for the LG VX7000 comes with a car charger which is NOT compatible with the LG VX7000 (BLACK).I complained to Amazon and they sent me another pack - of the same thing.It is very frustrating and not recommended.

I only wish that the phone's alarm would work when the phone is off...

A great phone with great service
I used to have a Samsung SGH-X426 phone with AT&T wireless and I really liked the phone because it was small, lightweight and looked pretty good.But I had horrible cell phone coverage with AT&T that continued even after the merger with Cingular.The bad coverage consisted of dropped calls, occasional garbled conversations and no/low service in some areas of California.Everyone that I talked to that had Verizon wireless really liked them as a provider so I decided to go with them and buy a LG VX7000BK from Amazon.

I'll go with the features that stand out to make me critique the phone (good and bad):

1.Great reception/coverage:
This phone excels at what I primarily need it to do: making clear phone calls.I have had it for almost a month and I have not had a single dropped call or garbled section of a conversation.My old phone/service would have dropped an average of 10 calls plus countless "garbles" during this same time and in exactly the same locations.

2.The phone is a little on the bulky side:
It's definitely bigger and heavier than my tiny Samsung but I carry it in it's holster (comes with it) on my belt so it's not an issue.I also found out that you're not supposed to carry your phone in your pocket because of the antenna being too close your skin and emitting radiation (I read it in the fine print found in the manual) so it worked out for the best using the holster.The larger size is actually a benefit when it comes to dialing and interacting with the phone menus because the keys are much larger than the old phone.

3.The outside and huge inside display screens:
The front display screen is nice showing picture id or the caller id so you don't have to flip open the phone to know who is calling you.I use distinct ringtones to identify some of my callers but the front screen is an added bonus.The inside screen is really large and high quality which is great for my photos that I use for backgrounds.The large inside display is also great for navigating through the menus, reading text messages and playing video games.

4.Voice dialing:
Using this feature, I don't even need my speed dial buttons and it's easy to program the voice dial function.When you're done setting it up, hit the button, say the name and it will make the call for you.One step nicer than trying to remember whether Joe was on speed dial number 7 or speed dial number 8.

5.USB Data Cable (not included) is great to transfer ringtones/wallpaper/phonebook info:
I bought mine off ebay for $15 and it was worth it.I use the free software program BitPim to transfer wallpapers/pictures/ringtones and phonenumbers between my phone and the computer.It's great for entering a lot of phone numbers at once on the computer (easier than doing it on the phone) and then transferring them to phone.Also great to back up your phone numbers in case you lose your phone.

6.No apparent missed call indicator once the outside display turns off:
This is my only true disappointment.A missed call will show on the outside screen but then the screen will shut off some time later to save power.To check for a missed call when it's off, you have to hit a key to fire the screen back up.It would have been nice if they would have programmed the flash indicator to flash when you have a missed call (I had that on my Samsung).

7.Camera/video option is ok:
The pictures are decent for a camera phone.That's not why I bought the phone and I really don't use it but I'm not complaining about an extra feature.

8.Decent game selection to download:
The GetItNow service from Verizon is great for downloading games.They're not cheap (around $6 for unlimited use of a game) but I've got Dig Dug, Downtown Texas Hold'Em and Impossible Mission and they're great when you have some down time.

9.Some accessories needed to be bundled with it as standard:
I recommend getting the following accessories for this phone: a good quality handsfree headset/earphone, a car charger and the USB Datacable.I wish they at least including a handsfree earphone but you can't win them all.

Conclusion:
All in all a great phone.I don't think it can be beat given its the performance, features and price.I gave it a perfect rating even though it has a few minor flaws because I've yet to find a single phone without at least a few flaws.I'm very satisfied with this phone and the service.
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With tri-band compatibility, enhanced voice dialing, a VGA camera with lens cover, support for Verizon's wireless Internet services, and more, the V6100 is a technologically advanced phone wrapped up in a stylish package.

Design The phone features a traditional clamshell design with a large 128 x 160 color display with support for a whopping 262,000 colors. The outside cover features a supplementary 96 x 64 monochrome display that can display time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. The VGA (640 x 480) camera unit, flash, and lens cover are housed just above the supplementary display. A Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's blue backlit control pad. A USB-compatible data and charging ports are housed on the unit's bottom edge. There's a standard jack to accept universal hands-free headsets on the left side of the handset.

Calling Features The VX6100's built-in address book can store up to 499 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and email addresses. The phone comes with built-in polyphonic ringtones plus a vibrating alert. The VX6100's enhanced voice dialing supports voice-to-digit dialing and name recognition for speedy dialing of contacts. The phone's voice recognition software supports voice commands from any user, not just a pre-programmed user's voice. A built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear and GPS location technology pinpoints your exact location when you dial 911. Finally, the phone's picture ID system allows you to assign pictures to your most common callers.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The VX6100 is a messaging powerhouse with support for Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), which allows you to send picture messages as easily as text and graphics. When used in combination with the phone's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet anywhere is easy with the VX6100, as well. Verizon's optional Mobile Web package allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. You can check your e-mail, trade stocks online, compare prices while shopping, access flight information, get movie listings and find directions to the theater.

Verizon's Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with the VX6100. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads and digital photo-sharing tools using the Get It Now service.

The VX6100 ships with a calendar and scheduler, as well as a voice memo application with up to 4 minutes of record time. An alarm clock and calculator are also included, as is the very handy restaurant tip calculator. Never dine without it!

Imaging and Entertainment The VX6100 really shines in the digital imaging department. The 640 x 480 camera features a digital zoom, white balance and brightness controls, and a flash. There's also a shutter self timer for getting your friends, as well as YOU, in shot.

The fun doesn't stop with taking pictures. The VX6100 is BREW enabled, meaning it supports games written on the BREW platform; many games are available via the Get It Now service. The phone also features customizable screen backgrounds so you can make your phone reflect your personality.

Vital Statistics The LG VX6100 weighs 3.88 ounces and measures 3.56 x 1.90 x 0.94 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hoursof digital talk time, and up to 150 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the AMPS 800/CDMA 800/CDMA 1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

great phone and features
i just got this phone and im completly satified with it . it has a big screen and takes great pictures. gets great reception, and comes with a lot of good ring tones. i only have 1 problem with it and it is that it is a bit on the bulky side but other than that it is an excellent phone. you can put it on manner mode so if your in school or at work it wont bother anyone. and you can record your self to a ring tone, i put it up aganst a speaker and record a song for free.

great phone and features
i just got this phone and im completly satified with it . it has a big screen and takes great pictures. gets great reception, and comes with a lot of good ring tones. i only have 1 problem with it and it is that it is a bit on the bulky side but other than that it is an excellent phone. you can put it on manner mode so if your in school or at work it wont bother anyone. and you can record your self to a ring tone, i put it up aganst a speaker and record a song for free.

lg vx6100 battery
is it just me or what? im satisfied with the phone itself, but i always seem to charge this phone every single day. so my only complaint is the battery life.

Jazzy phone, but does not do the basics right.Do not buy.
All right, so this phone has all the jazz, camera, speakerphone and all. But it does not do the basics right.

1. the call quality is bad. period. people cannot hear me, I cannot hear people. What else is a phone good for?
2. Its got a camera, and plenty of voice dialing features which I never used. What a waste of space. For example, if you want to turn the volume of the ringer high, the display shows you 5 staks of colored bars to show you the current volume level. Why in the world would you need that? A good display is one thing, a misused display is another. Poor engineering.
3. standby time: 3.5 days
5. talktime, I did not talk too much on it to discharge it, so I do not know.
6. speakerphone is ok on the lowest volume. But as soon as you jack the volume up, the treble in the sound becomes unbearable.
7. Signal reception is fine.

I am returning this phone and getting a good old nokia.

A great phone
I recently got this phone as a free upgrade (after a rebate) and am very impressed.For me it's greatest assets are it's voice command and speaker phone features.Properly mounted, it works great in the car as a hands free communication device.The fact that it can "read" all the names in it's phonebook, and dial the number at your request is amazing - no more scrolling around to find the number you want.Using the camera feature is easy, and the picture quality is OK for a 3x5 photo.FYI - you can purchase some nifty aftermarket software from Susteen called Datapilot that can get those photos off the vx6100 for free.I've used the software and it works well, but make sure to purchase the computer cable from Susteen also - I had trouble using another manufacturer's cable with the datapilot program.Reception has been great, as is sound quality.The speakerphone volume is good, but not great.
The only problem I've found with the phone are the side buttons, that can be accidentally pushed even when the phone is closed.This can activate the "Driving" (speakerphone) mode and result in an earsplitting event if you answer a call without realizing what mode the phone is in.
All in all, an amazing phone for the price.
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The Samsung A670 handset combines video capture and still imaging capabilities with superior messaging and high-speed wireless connectivity, all in a light and compact wireless device. Picture and text messaging services are also included, as is support for Internet connectivity. It's a great tool for savvy users who want to get the most out of wireless technology.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the A670's features.

The phone features a traditional clamshell design with a large 128 x 160 pixels color display with 65,000 colors. A full-color 128 x 96 pixels supplementary display on the outside of the cover displays incoming call information, battery life, signal strength, pictures, graphics and more. A VGA (640 x 480) camera with LED flash is located just above this display. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's backlit control pad. Meanwhile, the top right side of the unit houses an antenna while the charging port is housed on the unit's bottom edge. The phone also features a standard jack to accept universal hands-free headsets. Up/down keys are located on the left side of the unit for quick volume control.

Calling Features The A670's built-in address book can store up to 500 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and email addresses. The phone comes with 15 built-in polyphonic ringtones plus a vibrating alert. More ringtones can be downloaded via Verizon's Get It Now service. Ringtones and pictures can be assigned to specific callers so you don't have to look at the phone to know who's calling. The A670 features speaker-independent voice recognition, which allows any user to dial a number by speaking the name of a contact from a phone book, or by speaking the digits of a phone number. GPS location technology pinpoints your exact location when you dial 911.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The A670 features multimedia messaging with support for sending and receiving picture messages. The handset can receive messages with graphics and sound. When used in combination with the phone's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun.T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet anywhere is easy with the A670, as well. Verizon's optional Mobile Web package allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. You can check your e-mail, trade stocks online, compare prices while shopping, access flight information, get movie listings and find directions to the theater.

Verizon's Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with the A670. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Get It Now service.

The A670 ships with a number of handy tools including a calendar, a to-do list and a voice memo application that can record up to 4 minutes of speech. An alarm clock and calculator are also included.

Imaging and EntertainmentIn addition to a 4x zoom, The A670's built-in VGA camera includes a flash-- great for getting good shots in low light situations. Three quality settings let you control how much of the camera's 32 MB of built-in memory is allotted to your photos. The camera also supports video capture-- two 12-second video clips that you can set as your screensaver or program to play when you turn the phone on or off.

The phone also features customizable screen backgrounds so you can make your phone reflect your personality. The A670 is BREW enabled, meaning it supports games written on the BREW platform. Games are available via the Get It Now service.

Vital StatisticsThe Samsung A670 weighs 3.8 ounces and measures 3.30 x 1.80 x 1.0 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 175 minutes of digital talk time, and up to 170 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 800/CDMA 1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Works Pretty Well!
I have a Samsung A650, and travel all around the country driving a truck. Works in most areas, except some with no population. Much better than my old Sprint phone.

I'm going back to old phone! Terrible connections!
So I thought it would be good to trade-up from my old motorolla. Now I'm going back. Who needs a camera and video and color when you can't talk to anyone????

Don't buy this if a clear connection is what you want
AWFUL voice quality

My husband and I got these phones yesterday when we signed on with Verizon - a welcomed switch after six years with T-Mobile (and its predecessor).We were instantly charmed by its sleek appearance and style, and good basic features.That charm quickly faded.

We didn't even have the phones for 24 hours when we realized its HORRIBLE reception!When talking to each other, we were constantly saying, "What?Could you please repeat that?", "I can't understand you - will you say that again?", and of course, Verizon's own, "Can you hear me now?"ARRRRRGH!!Speech sounds garbled, and the sound constantly hesitates and goes out for milliseconds, making conversations stuttered and incomplete.

DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE is you want clear calls!!We're going back to Verizon, and swapping our phones for an LG-brand.This decision was based on DH calling me from nearly every phone in the Verizon store, and our comparing the quality of each one.

* TERRIBLE voice quality
* Phone heats up quickly - within two minutes - and just gets hotter, the longer you talk.
* I agree with other reviewers - the shutter sound on the camera is horrible.You can change the tone, but you can't adjust the volume.

Avoid this phone (and possibly Samsung)
-- terrible voice quality
-- ridiculously low battery life
-- phone becomes hot (yes, hot) after 5-10 mins use
-- can't remember if this phone ever finished a long (>10min) call without dropping signal.
-- one of our phones stopped working after 4 months of use. Verizon salesperson says this is due to "poor handling" on our part. How do you handle a cell phone poorly? We had to buy another phone.

Frankly this is my first experience with a "picture" phone, not sure if all picture phones are this bad. So I am not in a position to compare. My last Nokia with AT&T lasted 3 years without dropping a call, and Verizon signal strength is supposed to be superior to AT&T at least in the San Francisco Bay Area. My friends say Samsung clam shell model phones are best avoided, in general, i.e. unless you think screen saver is the most useful feature in a cell phone.

not bad, could be better
Well, my first cellphone, and I chose verizon due to the good reception. And for the phone, I loved the look of this phone, and the size. I have had it for a little over a month now, and i am somewhat satisfied. Its not terrible, for such a teeny peice of technology, it's very advanced, but so are all phones.

My pros:
- is very nice/classy looking
- can download cool rings very easily (does not come with great ones)
- the picture quality is very nice in my opinion

My cons:
- cannot turn of [camera] shutter sound, but can change
- not as customizable as i would like (the menu, fonts, sounds etc)
- only 3 options for LED screen (1 digital clock, 2 analog)
- wish it had longer battery life. It lasts 2 full days and one night without turning off, at normal use. dies at about 9 or 10 on the second night.

Basically its a fine phone, i defiantly wish it had more options for customizing, like colors for the menu, optional clock displays, and such, but it works, and its fun.
I guess what I REALLY would want, is to be able to put my photos in folders, like to have a few folders, and you can have personal photos come up as the caller ID, and I wish it would transfer into their contact info, and not clutter up my album when I simply had the photo for caller ID

Its a niced, beautiful phone, and it functions entirely as a nice cell phone should.
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The Nokia 3220 is all about having lots of fun. Geared for kids and teenagers, the phone supports wacky features like light effects, cut-out covers, "tilt" gaming and an innovative lighting system that lets you "write" messages in mid air. On a more boring note, the 3220 is a powerful GSM phone with advanced data and messaging features, plus a built-in VGA still and video camera.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the 3220's functions. Click here to see it in action.

The 3220 is a candybar phone with tons of candy. The phone is made to withstand the rigors of book bags and plenty of falls from the bleachers. Thick, replaceable rubber bumpers line both sides of the phone. For added fun, they also illuminate and glow when a call is incoming. The front of the phone sports a 128 x 128 display, with up to 65,000colors. The button pad features large, easy to press buttons. The rear of the phone houses a VGA (640 x 480) camera, which is surrounded by a panel that can be removed for placement of "cut-outs." You can design your own covers and slide them under the cut-out panel to personalize your 3220. Both front and rear panels of the phone can be replaced with a variety of colored faceplates, as well. An optional "Xpress-on Fun Shell" adds light wave messaging and a tilt sensor for games.

Calling Features The 3220's phone book can hold up to 500 contacts with multiple entries per contact. It also features a speakerphone for easy handsfree talking. Ringer profiles can be set up to trigger unique light patterns and ringtones for different people on your calling list. Pictures of your friends can also be used as caller ID alerts. The phone features 16 built-in polyphonic ringtones, and custom ringtones can be uploaded to the phone via its USB data port. More ringtones can also be downloaded from T-Mobile's t-zones service. For those times you want to keep things discreet, there's also a vibrate ringer mode.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The 3220 has all the bases covered when it comes to messaging. Support is built in for sending and receiving text, graphics and sound via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is also supported and the phone ships with a built-in email client (T-Mobile messaging charges apply). T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the 3220. It supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the new, high speed EDGE data protocol. T-Mobile's t-zones service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get sports scores, download games and ringtones, and more.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the 3220 including a voice memo recorder, a calculator, a calendar with up to 100 entries, and an alarm clock with snooze and a countdown timer. Via download on its Web site, Nokia offers a free application called PC Suite that facilitates easy synchronization of contacts, calendar events and other data between the phone and your PC.

Imaging and Entertainment Because the 3220 is designed for fun, it shines in the entertainment department. The phone's VGA camera can capture stills and video, both of which can be sent to your friends via MMS messaging or email, or to your PC via USB. An included image-editing application lets you modify the pictures you take before you send them. You can record up to 5 minutes of a voice or music clip to use as your ring tone. With an optional stereo headset, you can listen to tunes on the phone's built-in FM radio. The phone also supports custom themes and wallpapers.

Java support is built into the 3220, making it a powerful gaming companion for both online and offline games. The phone ships with four games, Survivor, Club Pinball, Dance Delight and Phantom Spider. Add the optional Xpress-on Fun Shell and you can tilt the handset in three dimensions, making the phone a virtual joystick. More games are available via the t-zones service.

Vital Statistics The Nokia 3220 weighs 3.03 ounces and measures 4.11 x 1.74 x 0.74 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3 hours of digital talk time, and up to 280 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM/GPRS 800/1800/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Attach a photo to a contact in your in your phone book to see who is calling you

Stay in touch even when you can't talk with AOL Instant Messenger or Yahoo Messenger

Reviews (6)

below expectations
i had bought a samsung e715 last time when i was in the USA. the phone was simply great except that when i took it to india, the signal reception became bad. i couldnt get signal within my house, which is kinda in the heart of the city.. so this time i wanted to settle for a nokia phone, as i know nokia is known for its reception and customizable features.

so let me start with the pros of the phone:

1. small size
2. rubber grip is good as it prevents the small phone from slipping off the hand
3. rubber keypad- keypad design is innovative and makes usage easy inspite of the space constraint
4. glowing leds attractive for the teen group
5. decent battery life

CONS:

1. first of all, the phone was initially advertised as a triband phone operating on 900mhz,1800 and 1900. but nokia sells 2 models of 3200- one normal 3220 and the other one - 3220b (this operates on 850 in place of 900) - t-mobile usa sells 3220b which means this phone wont work in india and many other parts of asia.

i called up customer support. they promptly changed the wrong info on their website and asked me to return the phone to the dealer. the dealer refuses to take the phone, saying that he would lose 25%. after 2 days he told me that he spoke to t-mobile and that t-mobile would send me a 900mhz 3220 phone in 5 days.. today i call up cust service and i see theres no record of such a call. so im caught in this battle now..the CSR tells m that since i cant return the phone after 15 days.. i have to buy a new phone from them and that t-mobile cant replace the phone. damn...wish i had sued t-mobile and got a huge compensation for
their blunder.

2. picture caller id was another thing i was looking for. samsung e715 has a pic called id, but its useless, as u would see the pic only if u open the flip phone. by this time, u would know the caller form the id on the front lcd. so i had opted for a non-flip phone.. only here, nokias pic is so small that, its very tough to spot the caller through the pic. this is again a major flop feature.

3. speaker is loud.. but quality is bad

4. the WORST of all. the center key is used as select, unlike the left key in other nokias. its very tough to hit the center key correctly. u mostly end up hitting one of the arrow keys. i have improved with practise.. but its still a pain

5. everytime u make a call the phone says note:call forwarding active. this is bcoz allour phones are set to forward calls to voice mail if theres no answer. but why should a phone display a note to the user about this.. its very annoying.. t-mobile CSR says itsafeature of the phone and it cant be customized or deactivated.

7

great phone! great features!
im a cell phone lover! ihave owned the best and last cell phones on the market. some time ago i was looking for a camera built in cell phone obviously i was considering the motorola v300, v400, c350, and panasonic gdu 88, so i was saving cos all of them were a little over my budget, so trying to find the best and own the best i kept looking when i found this awesome phone! of course i wasnt looking for a digital camera, i was looking for a cell phone with B.I camera, otherwise id recommend the sonny ericsson k700i.
anyways i love this one, takes video, pics in jpg format, voice recorder, games, etc...
so id like to list the pros and cons
pros: plenty memory (5g) memory divided on 3 different memories
numbers, gallery and games
you can erase some predetermined phone settings
camera with night vision, frame, short clips, voice recordings.
you can set voice records as ringtones.
great awesome battery life!
ring tone loud enough!
strong vibrating feature
x press on shells
loud speaker
voice tags
xpress on fun shell, speciall and unique feature, u can write messages in the air, incredibly feature, can be used for long distance messaging, or to look for ppl ;)!
etc......great thing!
cons:
reduced gallery memory, if u just use the camera feature without recorder and clips, and erase some predetermined ringtones, screen savers, wallpapers etc,
you can save about 50 pics, otherwise the memory for savings reduces.
navigation clip a little confusing and hard to get use to, after a while u get to controll it.
a little bit slow compared to k700i but not as motorola e380 or v300 etc.
short life for shells, they are made oflow quality plastic so the break easily compared to other nokias with no x-press. on
short clips, 15 secs each

so its a great cellphone, really, i wouldnt recommend it as the best BI camera phone, but its one of the best
go for it

Love it...
Frustrated with another service, I snapped up this phone just because it was free with activation through T-Mobile. It's got little lights on the side that I wasn't aware of. They went off when the phone was in silent mode on my desk. Handy! I'm always too worried "vibrate" will send it bouncing away. I also didn't know my new toy came with a camera. Instantly addicted I had to add the $2.99 for 20 images a month charge to my new service. Buyer beware. This is a fun little gizmo. As for the frustrated buyer who couldn't find the "send" button - read the instructions! The instruction book is simple to follow. Easy to understand. Helpful for making the most out of your "free" tools. Deadly when telling you about the fun tools which cost money.It's a joy. I also love being able to put a photo in the open back window of the shell. What a wonderful idea!!

Cute, useful, light, but no show stopper...
In what appears to be an attempt to emulate the popularity and customizability of the 5190 in the past, Nokia is branding the 3220 as a hip phone for youngsters. Regardless of how that makes you feel, it's useful. Although the menu graphics are somewhat disappointing, the phone's operating system is stable and fast. The phone itself is very small, smaller than the average Sony Ericcson small. It comes with a mobile internet browser, supports ICQ, AIM, and Y! instant messengers, and comes standard with a handful of java games. Aside from that, there is a vast array of Java applications you can buy to add to the phone. I switched to this phone from the Sidekick I color. I am relieved not to be carrying a phone the size of a large bar of soap in my pocket. I reccommend this product for people who want a visibly attractive, light phone that can handle the basics flawlessly and occaisionally do other things.

Below reviewer gave up too soon.
There is a call button on this phone (green line) just like any other phone. Dial the number and press it once to call, or two clicks of it will call anyone you have recently called. This phone also does in fact have 1-touch dialing, just hold down a key for a few seconds and it will dial the number you assigned to it. Or, assign a voice command to each number and its as simple as holding a key and saying the person's name. Making a call is no different then any other phone I've seen, if not easier. The camera is very easy to use and fairly clear if you arent expecting digital camera quality. The phone is customizable in many ways including case color and and cutouts. The black and chrome color cover looks very sleek. Ringtones are interesting to watch the first time, but most are just too much for everyday use. If you don't want all the flashing lights and strange music when it rings, they can be easily turned off and the normal nokia or tmobile chimes can be used. Menu's are quick. Call quality has been excellent and signal strength is suberb. Construction is solid, even with the changable covers. The grips work well which is good because the phone is small! The one ploblem is that the select key is the center of the 4 way toggle switch. You will accidently hit one of the 4 way buttons when trying to push select. This brings you to other quick menus and you will have to hit back and try again. I might get used to this after awhile, but so far I still hit the wrong button once in awhile. Overall, for the amount of features this phone has, it is an excellent phone for anyone (not just teens, which I am far from). I also recommend you read through the manual while playing with it so you don't miss some of the features and end up returning it unsatisfied.
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Now Blackberry users can wirelessly read email, make phone calls, book meetings, and more--in color. In addition to being the first color BlackBerry, the 7230 is also the first with support for gaming, and it's one of the first with tri-band GSM-- a real must for world travelers. This integrated phone, email client (with support for corporate email servers), organizer and web browser is the ultimate weapon for mobile professionals.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the BlackBerry 7230's features.

The 7230 follows the standard BlackBerry form factor-- a large 240 x 160 color screen placed above a QWERTY thumbpad. The screen offers plenty of real estate to view your emails, web browser content, messaging sessions and attachments. The popular BlackBerry user interface is here, too, which makes it easy to navigate the phone's functions. A jog dial is located on the right side of the unit for quick scrolling through menus and emails. There's also a standard 2.5mm headset jack that can be used with the included headset. A removable lithium-ion battery is housed in the rear of the unit, and there is a USB port for data connectivity.

Calling Features Many of the calling capabilities folks have come to expect in a wireless phone are present in the 7230. A vibrating alert and speed dial capability are present, as is a contacts list/address book that is limited only by the unit's 16 MB of internal memory.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The 7230 delivers the legendary BlackBerry email experience. With T-Mobile's BlackBerry Internet Service plans, you can receive emails instantaneously from personal and corporate accounts. With BlackBerry push technology, you don't need to retrieve your email. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, allowing you to be discreetly notified as new email arrives. Support is also built-in for viewing email attachments (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, and PDF formats).

If your company has BlackBerry Enterprise Server installed, you can take advantage of the power of wireless calendar synchronization. Your calendar events are exchanged wirelessly and automatically so that your desktop calendar and BlackBerry device calendar are synchronized. All your Outlook meeting requests, changes, and updates are instantaneously synchronized with your desktop. Make meeting requests, invite new attendees and more, all on your 7230. Users without Enterprise Server support can manually sync with their desktop calendars and contacts using BlackBerry Desktop software and the device's USB data port.

Use the 7230's Web browser to access the Internet from the palm of your hand. Browse Web sites, get up-to-date stock quotes, read the latest news, check weather reports and more. Wireless text messaging is also supported by the 7230.

The 7230 ships with a number of tools, including a calculator with a unit converter, and a to-do list. The unit's software is based on the Java platform, meaning Java-compatible games and applications can be added to the device.

Vital StatisticsThe RIM BlackBerry 7230 weighs 4.9 ounces and measures 4.4 x 2.9 x 0.94 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of digital talk time, and up to 240 hours digital standby time. It runs on the 900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

stay away from t-mobile
You better check the service everywhere you plan to use it in the period of time when you can return/cancel your plan. Because they DO NOT have coverage everywhere that they claim to.

I've been on the phone with them for hours, explaining that it does not work. THEY DON'T CARE...Stay away from these scammers.

Do not get this if your email account is MSN or hotmail
I have an MSN email account and neither Blackberry, T-Mobile nor MSN - not on the phone or online - could figure out how to forward my email to the blackberry.It turns out that "full email integration" with MSN isn't possible which means you won't get fully synced email.I spent 1.5 days - 36 hours trying to make it work. I wasn't going to eat until I got it working.I've ended my fast and returned the 7230 to Amazon.I thought I'd try the Sprint model 7750 since I already have a cell account with them and it is advertised to work with MSN - but the Sprint customer service person confided that it would require an additional purchase of $400 software to make it compatible with MSN - making it a $900 blackberry. She said "they (Sprint) don't tell you that". If you get the T-mobile 7230, make sure you have the battery in on the first step, so that your desktop detects the hardware.If you attempt insert the SIM card under the battery into the SIM "bed", make sure you realize the bed flips up like a murphy bed and the sim card slides into the slot then locks down.The directions are very unclear and the photos are too small to see.A piece chipped off from inside from my attempts to put in the SIM card (my SIM bed was stuck - in fact, I didn't realize from the photos it was supposed to flip up).I now cry at the mention of "T-mobile".It got so bad that they credited me $80 or so, equivalent to one month of the service I signed up for.

Great hardware...Be wary of T-Mobile
Simply put, this hardware device is amazing...Easy to use and intuitive.

That said T-Mobile is really annoying.I signed-up for the 29.99 plan with Enterprise Server Access, which worked for 2 months before I was informed by T-Mobile that I would need to switch to a $39.99 plan to maintain Enterprise Server Access.

Think about it no more
Make no mistake, this is the best portable e-mail device you will ever find. T-mobile is absolutely great. I have ahd several PDAS and phones but this is by far the best. If you want immediate access to e-mails without any extra work or hassle this has to be your choice.
Easy to use as it is absolutely intuitive.

Blackberry 7230 purchase was a two year commitment mistake
The Blackberry 7230 seems like a great idea.You have a keyboard, color monitor, e-mail, phone, and a pretty good battery life.Now that I've provided the nice sales features, let me jump to reality.The Blackberry is too wide to hold when phoning or receiving calls.It will slip out of your hand and there's no safety strap.They did provide a nice click on holder but it would not allow the phone to be on standby because it was tight and pressed against the keys that control that function.Oh yes, you have to shift for higher case and also for numbers.I found the blackberry 7230 to be difficult to use as a phone or even a PDA.It is not made for average human hands or fingers.I won't even get into the way you have to hang up a phonecall and the options/menus.It only gets a 3 from me because it looks solid and the battery life is quite long.The color fades dramatically in low light situations.I would much rather have the newer, thinner, Blackberry.
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Motorola's i860 is everything Nextel users have come to expect in a phone, and more. This flagship phone has all of the great features and durability of past Nextel models, plus a built-in camera and support for multimedia messaging.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the i860's features.

The i860 is no ordinary clamshell. Like other Nextel phones, it's built tough for construction and utilities industry users. The phone sports a very large 176 x 220 TFT color display with a stunning 262,000 colors. Meanwhile, the outside cover features a supplementary 95 x 96 color display that can display photos, images, time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. The built-in camera and LED flash are located above this display. The speakerphone unit is located on the rear of the phone, while the trademark Direct Connect and menu scrolling functions can be controlled from the side of the phone. The phone's control pad also features a five-way button that can control most of the phone's functions. Finally, a small button on the hinge of the phone's flip mechanism automatically opens the phone for quick access-- a real plus if you have your hands full.

Calling Features The i860's built-in address book can store up to 600 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and email addresses. The phone comes with built-in polyphonic ringtones plus a vibrating alert. More polyphonic ringtones can be added, as can MP3-based ringtones. Voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names. You can also speak numbers and control other phone features with the sound of your voice. Access the last 20 sent and received calls for quick call return or number storage via the recent calls list. A built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear and the i860's GPS location technology pinpoints your exact location when you dial 911.

One of the key features of any Nextel phone is support for Nextel's Direct Connect walkie-talkie technology. The i860 fully supports the service, which allows for one-touch conversations with anyone else on a Nextel phone. It's like a having a CB radio with enough range to cover all of North America. The i860 also features a walkie-talkie private speaker button. This switches from the external speaker to the earpiece for private conversations or to minimize disruptions in quiet environments.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The i860 features MMS-based support for mobile-to-mobile or mobile-to-email text and photo messaging. When used in combination with the phone's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Another Nextel innovation supported by the i860 is Nextel Direct Send. Simply push a button and instantly send all your contact info to another Nextel phone. It's an easy way to get people into your contact list fast.

The i860 ships with a calendar and a calculator, as well as a voice recording application that can record phone conversations if you need to replay directions or meeting times. A time and date clock are also included.

Imaging and Entertainment The i860's 640 x 480 camera features a digital zoom and built-in flash that makes it easier to get quality shots in low-light situations. The i860 can also capture 10-second video clips. The phone's Media Center application and large internal memory allows you to store hundreds of photos in a variety of file types.

The i860 is packed with a number of Java applications. TeleNav for audible driving directions is included, as is 1KTV multimedia for news (both require a subscription). Preloaded games include ESPN Bassmaster Demo, Space Invaders Demo and Boulder Dash M.E. Demo. More game downloads are available via the Nextel Online service.

Vital Statistics The Motorola i860 weighs 4.76 ounces and measures 3.45 x 1.85 x 0.98 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 165 minutes of digital talk time, and up to 65 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the IDEN 800 frequency. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

omg
i hate this phone so much, whatever can go wrong with a cell phone, it will go wrong with this phone!

others are just phones
Nextel and Motorola have developed the ultimate "ultra cool, super sleek, power attitude, I am the man / I am the woman, great phone w/the i860. Not only does it have consistent great sound quality on calls, but the ability to quickly contact other Nextel friends or relatives with a single push of the Direct Connect button makes other phones "just another phone".
**By the way, the Direct Connect (2 way radio) is usable in FULLY PRIVATE mode by simply pressing 1 button. The speaker turns off, you hold the phone to your ear, you scroll to the name of the bud you wish to contact, you push the button to talk and release it to listen and NO ONE has to hear your fast Direct Connect conversation. All Nextel phones have the privacy button for Direct Connect. It makes voice mail such a waste of our time.
That is how I use my Nextel all day at work in the office, I also keep mine on silent vibrate mode for totally discrete private use.
Look at any volunteer fireman/firewoman, construction person, cop, or young Jr High/HS kid in the Westchester/Dutchess/Rockland/Putnam County, NY region: you'll see a Nextel on their belt or in their hand. It is THE PHONE where I live.
Just try one. They have so many plans you will find one you like.

this cell phone is the best
You have to get this cell is real hot!!!!!!

The worst phone I've ever owned
My experaience with this phone has been terrible!
This phone is absolute garbage! Failed miserably within first 3 weeks.
Purchased 2; 2nd phone is fine, but 1st is a lemon.

I purchased 2 of these phones.1 works fine (actually a decent phone) the second is crap.Does not hold a charge for more than 26hrs, car charger does not work on phone (but works on other i86's), speaker phone cuts in and out, and the phone drops voice tags (voice activated dialing) at random.
Nextel's response: call Motorola and pay $55 to have phone covered under warranty.(Nextel only covers the phone for 15 days -- Day 17 is not covered)

This phone is not for amateurs
All these other retards dont know how to work the phone thats why they say it sucks.If you know what you are doing, you can get as many as up to 30 actual mp3 ring tones on to the phone for free, the same goes for games, apps, and wall papers.This is a better phone than some of the others on the market.As a nextel customer for years, this is one of the best phones they have ever produced.
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Star Wars fans rejoice! You can now get your exclusive s710a phone that comes preloaded with Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith content. Included are a C-3PO voice tone, TIE Fighter sound effect tone, Classic Trilogy Heroes exclusive graphic, Darth Maul graphic, demo version of downloadable game: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and a video clip of the AT-AT Approach scene--plus, you get access to download even more.

Just when you thought Sony Ericsson phones couldn't get any cooler, the s710a comes along, sporting an elegant, rotating design, support for high speed data networks, and a powerful integrated camera. Add these to a jumbo screen, Bluetooth, and support for expandable memory, and you've got one serious contender in the race to deliver the coolest of the cool in the high-end phone category.

Design

The s710a's swiveling design means that the keypad is only revealed when you need it. Because of this design, the phone more resembles a digital camera, with a massive 240 x 320 display on one side and a pronounced camera system on the other. There's even a grip on the back for holding the phone sideways when capturing photos. The camera unit, which is protected by a lens cover, features 1280 x 960 resolution (1.3 megapixel), as well as an LED flash. Meanwhile, a five-way directional button on the front of the device controls most of the phone's menus and features. A Memory Stick DUO slot is provided on the right side for easy memory expansion, and the phone ships with a 32 MB card included. In addition to USB and Bluetooth connectivity, the s710a also has an infrared receiver for data synchronization.

Exclusive Darth Maul graphic.

Exclusive Classic Trilogy graphic.

Calling Features The s710a's phone book can hold up to 510 contacts with multiple entries per contact. A call list remembers your most recent missed, received and dialed calls. The phone's voice activated dialing makes calling up to 50 of your contacts as easy as saying their names, while the built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear. Polyphonic ringtones are included and there's even a bundled application that lets you mix your own ringtones with up to 16 tracks. Picture caller ID lets you assign a photo to specific callers. Similarly, a ringer ID lets you assign ringtones to callers. For those times you want to keep things discreet, there's a vibrate ringer mode.

Because the s710a is Bluetooth-enabled, you can use a variety of headsets and handsfree kits for total wireless freedom when you're on the go.

Messaging, Internet and Tools If you're looking for a mobile office partner, the s710a has you covered. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via SMS or MMS messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging possibilities. Instant messaging is also supported and the phone ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols (Cingular messaging charges apply). Cingular has generously pre-configured email account settings for BellSouth, SBC, and Earthlink. There's also a built-in Web browser for MEdia downloads and mobile web browsing. Cingular's MEdia service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. T9 text entry, a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the s710a, as it supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the new, high speed EDGE data protocol. When used with a Cingular data plan and the phone's Bluetooth or USB data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs. Enjoy broadband speeds in EDGE-enabled service areas.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the s710a, including a voice memo recorder, a calculator, a calendar and an alarm clock. Use the s710a's Bluetooth capability to set up a wireless link with a Bluetooth accessory or connect to a computer or hand-held device to exchange and synchronize data. The phone also supports the SyncML PC synchronization standard. This means the phone can be used with the included Sony Ericsson Sync Station software, which lets you synchronize your Microsoft Outlook calendar, contacts, notes and tasks with your s710a.

Click the image to get a closer look at the s710a's features.

Imaging and Entertainment As mentioned, the phone sports a powerful 1.3 megapixel camera and flash. The camera also features an 8x zoom capability, as well as support for video capture. You can capture as much video as you like, as long as there is available memory.

The s710a is a powerful gaming companion, too, with support for enhanced, Java-based 3D gaming. The phone comes preloaded with several games and more are downloadable from both Sony Ericsson and Cingular's MEdia service. Lastly, the s710a has a nifty MP3 player, so you can load up your memory card and listen to tunes while you're on the go.

Vital Statistics The Sony Ericsson s710a weighs 4.83 ounces and measures 4.23 x 1.93 x .96 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 7 hours of digital talk time, and up to 300 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/1800/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Style with substance
Pros (in the order of importance):
- Brilliant screen. Among the very best out there.
- Beautifully designed user interface.
- Stylish. Looks like a phone Darth Vader would use (yeah I know, a lame Star Wars pun).
- Excellent connectivity options with world class Bluetooth implementation.
- Lots of memory (32 MB internal and includes 32 MB MemoryStick DUO) and expandable, too.
- Strong RF reception and good audio quality.
- Class 10 EDGE and GPRS for speedier Internet access.
- Excellent theme support with tons of excellent themes you can download.
- Great Java support, including Java 3D.

Cons (in the order of importance):
- Measuring 0.96" in thickness, it won't comfortably fit into your pocket (especially your shirt).
- Menu navigation is a bit slow.
- Not a quad-band phone (no 900 MHz GSM).
- Battery life is just decent (lasts about 2 days of typical use, less than a day if you play with it heavily).
- Loud alert sounds, particularly camera shutter.
- Speakerphone volume is a bit low.
- Despite hooplas surrounding its CCD 1.3 mega pixel camera, it will not replace your digital camera.
- Ultimately, swivel keypad area is a novelty.
- Does not support MemoryStick DUO Pro (limited to 128 MB MemoryStick DUO).
- Expensive considering it is not a smartphone.
- Slow HTML rendering (WAP is very good, however).

Like many Sony products, Sony Ericsson S710a leaves strong first impression. It is extremely slick, with metal-like black chassis with substantial feel. I am not a fan of black electronic devices, but this I approve. Everything feels substantial and high quality, to swivel action (it requires a bit of force and cannot easily be done with one hand) and opening the camera lens cover. Turn it on and stunning LCD will greet you. It has 240 by 320 LCD with 262,144 colors on 2.3" screen, which translates to whopping 174 pixels per inch. Everything looks super sharp with paper-like clarity.

Beauty is not skin deep. User interface is equally slick, with sharp and highly readable text and very colorful icon graphics. Navigating the menu is a bit slow from time-to-time due to fancy animation.

None of these bells and whistles matter if S710a does not work well as a phone which it does. While not quite at the level of Nokia 6230 or 6620 in terms of RF reception, S710a is excellent at holding on to the signal. In fact, it is currently ranked 3rd on Cingular's list of best performing phones. Both inbound and outbound audio are very good, as long as you don't accidentally block tiny microphone hole with your finger. Speakerphone is full-duplex and works well, but it requires an extra button press after the call is connected. I found the speakerphone volume to be a bit on the low side.

Contacts management has been Sony Ericsson's strong point. On S710a, each contact can have 5 phone numbers, email address, web site, photo, custom ring tone, title, company, full mailing address, and miscellaneous information. My only quibbles are 510 contact storage space (sufficient for my purpose, but given the phone's spacious 32 MB internal memory, it should be larger) and first-letter only contact search.

S710a is mainly touted for CCD camera feature. In fact, the phone looks more like camera than phone. Just about every camera phones are equipped with mediocre low-end CMOS camera, which draws less power and occupies less space but takes lousy pictures. S710a is distinguished by CCD camera that dedicated digital cameras typically use. Unfortunately, S710a's camera is not as good as dedicated digital cameras. Even at 1280 by 960 resolution (1.3 mega pixels), photos have fuzzy look to it. Although photos come out far sharper and more colorful than most camera phones, you won't mistake them for dedicated digital camera photos. Also bothersome is bluish cast. It is as if tungsten lighting is permanently engaged. Still, the camera is more than adequate for casual use, and it even includes flash light. The camera is also capable of recording video clips, at maximum of 176 by 144 QCIF resolution.

S710a has an excellent multimedia support, compatible with polyphonic MIDI (40 chords), MP3, WAV, and MPEG-4 AAC audio formats; and MPEG-4 3GPP video format. While it is missing a play list management feature, it includes few nice surprises such as a 5-band graphics equalizer. Video playback is limited to 176 by 144, which is a shame given its gorgeous 240 by 320 screen. S710a includes a decent pair of stereo earphones.

S710a supports Bluetooth 1.1, which is not the latest, but it supports wider range of Bluetooth profiles than most cell phones. It connects very quickly with Bluetooth headsets and syncs and integrates beautifully on Mac. On Mac, it will integrate with Address Book (dial and SMS), sync address book and calendar via iSync, act as a GPRS/EDGE dial-up modem, exchange files wirelessly (music, photos, games, Java applications, and video clips), and can act as a mouse and computer remote control (e.g., controlling PowerPoint/Keynote slide). It works well with Windows XP Service Pack 2 as well, with good file exchange support and syncing with Outlook with included software. Via Bluetooth, I have uploaded 5 games and a Mac OS X Tiger theme that I created with included Theme Creator software. Speaking of themes, wallpaper, screensaver, and ring tones (supports both MIDI and MP3) can be fully customized, too.

All in all, S710a is a very cool phone. It may be a bit large for some and perhaps too expensive. And some may be dismayed by lack of smart phone features. However, the screen is simply stunning, with beautifully rendered user interface, works great with Mac OS X, and it works well as a phone.

When!?
I don't understand what the deal is with this phone. It's not available in most zipcodes I type in and when I called in to see why it wasn't I didn't get a straight answer. I don't know what Amazon's relationship is with Cingular but it's been very inconvenient for me lately. I've been trying to get a new phone for a while but there's always something on this site that stops me from ordering! And I still don't know why Amazon and Cingular haven't come to an agreement as to why you can't port your number over. I really think they should think of something with it being a LAW and all! Flex your muscles Amazon! Stop holding their products otherwise! This is getting rediculous!!

i'm just OK with it
PROs:
the phone looks and feels great!
the audio quality is the best!
the pic quality is great for a camera phone!!!

CONs:
sometimes, the keys don't respond very fast.
the keytone function doesn't work well. it beeps sometimes, and doesn't some other time. i called and got a replacement, but the second one does the same thing! then i found out, when it does beep, the sound is kinda loud and annoying. so that function doesn't really matter!

but i wonder if it's only the Star Wars edition does that or all of them.

anyway, i'm OK with it, as long as it doesn't have any other probs!
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This stylish flip phone delivers urban chic good looks and a healthy dose of powerful features, including a VGA (640 x 480) camera and support for multimedia messaging. The phone also supports Verizon's mobile Internet features so you can harness all that the wireless revolution has to offer.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the v265's features.

The V265, which follows the traditional clamshell form factor, sports a 128 x 128, 65,000-color internal screen. A supplementary, 96 x 32 monochrome screen on the outside of the cover displays incoming call information, signal strength, battery life, current time and more. The VGA camera lens and self-portait mirror is housed above this display. Up/down buttons are placed on the left side for volume control. A five-way selection button above the phone's dial pad is designed to control most of the phone's menus and functions. The phone's extending antenna is placed on the top right side of the unit. A 2.5mm headset jack is provided, as are ports for AC charging and USB data connectivity. The phone ships in a standard black and silver configuration, but optional faceplates are available to dress up the phone's front outer cover and battery cover to suit your fancy.

Calling Features The V265's speakerphone makes it easy to converse without touching the handset-- a big plus for car users. Enhanced voice dialing supports voice-to-digit dialing and name recognition for speedy dialing of contacts. The V265's voice recognition software supports voice commands from any user, not just a pre-programmed user's voice.

The V265's internal memory can be used to hold up to 500 contacts for quick access to email addresses and phone numbers. In addition to a five vibrating alerts, the phone supports 64-instrument polyphonic ringtones. The phone also allows you to assign ringtones to specific callers so you can know who's calling without having to look at the screen. A number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone and more ringtones can be downloaded from Verizon's Mobile Web service. Perhaps most importantly for users in rural areas, the V265 is a tri-mode phone, meaning it can operate on Verizon's digital network, as well as analog networks that serve many outlying areas. Lastly, the phone's GPS location technology pinpoints your exact location when you dial 911.

Messaging, Internet and Tools The V265's support for multimedia messaging means that text and photos can be sent with ease (Verizon messaging charges apply). When used in combination with the phone's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. There's also a built-in web browser for Verizon Mobile Web downloads and mobile web browsing. Verizon's optional Mobile Web package allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. You can check your e-mail, trade stocks online, compare prices while shopping, access flight information, get movie listings and find directions to the theater. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Verizon's Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with the V265. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads and digital photo-sharing tools using the Get It Now service.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the V265 including a voice memo recorder with up to two minutes of recording time, a calculator, a calendar and an alarm clock.

Imaging and Entertainment Plenty of good times are built right into the V265. The phone's VGA camera supports resolution adjustment so you can choose the level of detail and memory space you want to use. Images can also be sent to your friends via MMS messaging, use them as a custom wallpaper, or use the phone's USB connection to transfer them to your PC. Embedded screensavers and full screen wallpapers are built-in so you can set up the V265 to suit your tastes. More graphics are available from Verizon's Get It Now service.

The V265 is BREW enabled, meaning it supports games written on the BREW platform. Games are also available via the Get It Now service.

Vital Statistics The Motorola V265 weighs 3.77 ounces and measures 3.60 x 1.80 x .90 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.33 hours of digital talk time, and up to 150 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the AMPS 800/CDMA 800/CDMA 1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

So far, so good...
None of the problems other reviewers have listed here have come up with my new phone (it has only been a week, however...)
Its a very cool looking phone with a nice, but smallish screen.
It keeps recording a terrible sounding message for the voicemail - but the people I talk to say that I sound perfectly clear on their end, so I don't know why that is happening.
As with most phones, the camera is kind of pointless - that's why you buy a camera.Phones are for phoning, cameras are for picture taking.Stop trying to get everything to do everything, and they'll work better.

stylish exterior, but that's about it
I would like to say that cameras aren't important for cellular telephones, but clearly the gadget-factor is critical for phones sales nowadays and the v265 doesn't stack up to its competitors in any department (except for the speakerphone, the one feature everyone can agree upon). The battery life of the v265 is also appallingly short, as is the case with most Motorola phones, and the advanced graphics just slow the speed at which users can perform normal activities e.g. browsing the phonebook or any listfor that matter. The voice recognition is fairly good on the phone, and users don't have to pre-record voice commands in order to dial or access voicemail, but the phone's electronic integrity is questionable (the screen flickers, the exterior display goes blank e.t.c) and I do not recommend this phone for anyone but devoted phone gamers.

Started off good, but 2nd one and its still a lemon
It was time for a new every two phone.Got the V265 from VZ as it was a trimode and looked cool... but the first one developed a major static problem and made it so you couldnt talk on it.. VZ sent out another new one and now only a week later it is doing the same thing.Thankfully its within the time frame of the satisifaction and VZ is changing me out to a different phone altogether.Hopefully the Kyocera will be better!

Good phone, crappy camera
GOOD - Good, clear phone with easy to customize features.In addition, it has a very good speaker phone compared to similar phones, which gives you added option besides the earpiece.

BAD - Camera is absolutely horrible!Very few features, horrific resolution, and very limited brightness.Also, even if you have another motorola phone, you still can't exchange phone books.

Reliability problems- do not buy!
had the identical problem as previous writer. The phone's exterior display does not recognize when the phone is closed, so it always shows "verizon" instead of the time/caller ID. This is a problem because when I open the phone, it does flicker on, then off, thus hanging up on the person! When I went to return it, the guy in the store confessed that another customer had a similar problem.
should be replaced soon. hopefully will get a good one.
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The BlackBerry 7100g is the first of its kind-- a fully-featured mobile phone that delivers the power of BlackBerry e-mail. This is one sweet little phone, loaded with all of the cool features you want, like integrated Bluetooth connectivity, speakerphone, and downloadable ringtones. Plus, surf the Web the way it was meant to be surfed with an ultra-large, high-resolution color screen.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the 7100g's features.

Design-wise, the 7100g is a departure from the form factor of previous BlackBerry models. This BlackBerry is far more phone-like, and RIM's engineers have managed to fit a QWERTY keyboard onto the handset's slim frame. Each button on the keypad shares two letters and the unit automatically determines which letter is the intended one based on what it predicts you are trying to spell. This unique predictive text technology, known as SureType, enables the 7100g's diminutive size. SureType also learns the words you use most often, further enhancing your typing speed.

The 7100g sports a large 240 x 260 screen with 65,000 colors-- plenty of real estate to view your emails, web browser content, messaging sessions and attachments. The venerable BlackBerry jog dial is located on the right side of the unit for quick scrolling through menus and emails. A speakerphone is housed in the top portion of the rear of the handset, just above the removable battery door. There's also a standard 2.5mm headset jack that can be used with the included headset.

Calling Features All the calling capabilities folks have come to expect in a wireless phone are present in the 7100g. As mentioned, the unit's speakerphone makes it easy to use the device handsfree, or if you prefer, use a wireless headset via the 7100g's built-in Bluetooth capability. A vibrating alert, speed dial, and a contacts list/address book that is limited only by the unit's 32 MB of internal memory, are also included. Any of the phone's 32 included polyphonic ringtones can be used to create caller-specific ringers so you can know who's calling without having to look at the handset. More ringtones are available from Cingular's MEdia mobile web service.

Messaging, Internet and Tools While the 7100g is a different kind of BlackBerry, it's still delivers the legendary BlackBerry email experience. With Cingular's BlackBerry service plans, you can receive emails instantaneously from up to 10 email accounts (personal and enterprise). With BlackBerry push technology, you don't need to retrieve your email. Instead, BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, allowing you to be discreetly notified as new email arrives. Support is also built-in for viewing email attachments (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, and PDF formats).

If your company has BlackBerry Enterprise Server installed, you can take advantage of the power of wireless calendar synchronization. Your calendar events are exchanged wirelessly and automatically so that your desktop calendar and BlackBerry device calendar are synchronized. All your Outlook meeting requests, changes, and updates are instantaneously synchronized instantaneously with your desktop. Make meeting requests, invite new attendees and more, all on your 7100g. Users without Enterprise Server support can manually sync with their desktop calendars and contacts via Bluetooth or USB using the included BlackBerry Desktop software.

Use the 7100g's Web browser to access the Internet from the palm of your hand. Browse Web sites, get up-to-date stock quotes, read the latest news, check weather reports and more. Instant messaging and wireless messaging are also built into the 7100g. The unit supports AOL, Yahoo and ICQ instant messaging, as well as SMS text messaging. MMS messages can be received and forwarded.

The 7100g ships with a number of tools, including a calculator with a unit converter and a to-do list. The unit supports Java application and game downloads (available via the t-zones service). One game, BrickBreaker, is included.

Vital Statistics The RIM BlackBerry 7100g weighs 4.30 ounces and measures 4.70 x 2.30 x 0.8 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of digital talk time, and up to 8 days of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

Very Fuctional Business Phone
If your looking for a slick thin phone that has 100 options and gadgets and advertises with the chic crowd...you know someone wearing sunglasses advertising it, then this phone is not for you. If your like me and and you spend 50 hours a week at work a lot of it traveling and you need the basics done well then this is the phone. No it doesn't have a camera and no it doesn't play music. It does do a really good job of "pushing' ur emails to you, sync's well with your PIM, the phone is definitly the loudest(one of my pet peeves with my other phones was that even all the way up I could barely hear)phone in the earpiece. I 've gotte great reception, the screen is just the right size.I think the browser works well.I've not yet had a probelm with battery life. If I had to describe the phone its a work horse for business. The 3rd party software is limited but the only thing I use is a E wallet. I recommend it.

Great (Addictive) for E-Mail, Loust Phone
RIM Blackberry has still not quite figured out how to make a cell phone.Don't get me wrong...

It is so bad, that I do not think you can use the 7100 as a primary phone in the U.S.

I am keeping it for data, but without the monthly voice plan.I am ordering another phone for voice.

Would that it were were not necessary to do so...

No stars for customer service and returns
Word to the wise! Don't make a miskate because the return policy between Cingular Wireless and Amazon.com is awful. I have been trying to resolve a return for weeks. In the interim, I received a bill ($149.00) from Cingular Wireless for a service I never used on a phone I don't have and never used.

It's so convenient!
I love having the ability to get all my email forwarded to the blackberry, it's so convenient. And the improved typing system on the 7100 makes it extrememly easy to reply to them all in a snap.The large color screen is definitely a big improvement over regular phones.The 7100 offers not only email capability, but also a large Address Book, Task pad, Memo Pad, Picture storage (which you can download from your emails), numberous built in ring tones, SMS (aka text messaging), an easy to use internet browser, games and so much more.I love my 7100 and would recommend it highly.

An excellent upgrade over earlier Blackberry models
This review is for existing Blackberry users contemplating an upgrade, especially business users who need to use RIM devices to comply with corporate security and other standards.

BACKGROUND: I am a confirmed "crackberry" addict. This is my fifth Blackberry: I was an early user of the 850 pager, the 857 larger screen, the 5810 (which I managed to crush), and the 6820 "blueberry", which died two weeks ago after 16+ months of hard use. I run a company that keeps about 35 BB devices running; mine is the fourth that we have deployed in the 7100 series. Some are model C(Cingular) and some T (Deutche Telecom). The other folks all love theirs. Mine is a T, but the comments apply to both.

SUMMARY: the 7100 is a big improvement and if you can stand a poor screen while outdoors, you will likely take to it after a few days of getting used to SureType.

IMPROVEMENTS over the 6820 blueberry.

-- Support for opening email attachments. Very helpful.

-- A much improved phone. Quad band for overseas. Bluetooth and autodialing for the car. A speakerphone for when you are on hold or need to add a colleague to a call. A bar not a brick form factor -- not nearly as lame to hold to your face.

-- A faster, better browser. More Java compliant, so you get further into more sites. Allows you to save photos. Seems to use cookies and cache better.

-- Faster memory and twice as much of it. 32MB of RAM and 4 of SRAM -- a lot more than my first desktop had.

-- SureType. I have been known to type short chapters on a Blackberry and some of our folks have literally injured their thumbs by typing too much - so I was very nervous about losing the QWERTY keyboard. But SureType works - just start typing and it figures most of it out. I am not yet quite as fast as I was on the old keyboard - but I am probably 80% as fast (and hey -- I should type shorter notes anyway).

-- A couple of nice touches: a photo album. (I carry pictures of my wife and kids around - I like it) and polyphonic ring tones. Some of these are obviously lame, but a bit of variety is nice. Brickbat is improved.

-- They stuck the entire help manual in the device. You won't need it often, but you will learn little tricks by referring to it occasionally.

SAME as ever: the software, the applications, the integration with Exchange, the security, the system software, the battery life are all still excellent. Support is still mediocre to nonexistent, but you don't need much.

PROBLEMS vs the 6820:

-- The screen is great indoors, but just dies in the sun - even if you turn the brightness up. I usually just seek out a bit of shade. In a side by side comparison with the 6820, it is clear that RIM made some tradeoffs on the screen that make it less usable outside. Autodialing makes this less of an issue in the car than it would be otherwise (and come to think of it, this limitation actually prevents bozos from doing email while driving. If you are one of these folks, get a 6820 and double up on your life insurance).

-- The keyboard is a tradeoff, but I think a small compromise in the end. It does take some practice to get used to, which has not been true of previous BB upgrades.

-- For some reason the thumbwheel seems less precise and my Brickbat scores would suggest that it is stickier. Many report that this gets better with 2-3 weeks use, but I'm not sure.

CONCLUSION: the 7100 series is a very impressive upgrade. Not perfect, but very good. If you don't need, don't want, or can't have a Treo, this is a fine choice.
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Samsung's SGH-D415 rides a wave of high style and broad functionality. As you take the ringing phone from your pocket and lift it to your face in answer, its silver cover slides up all of its own accord, converting to a full-size phone. Just these few seconds are enough to catch the eyes of people around you, and you'll save valuable time in not having to stop to open the phone before talking.

And, the phone is compact when closed but still offers a wide display (176 pixels by 220 tall) and a large keypad. The phone's 262,144-colors deliver richer, brighter, and clearer images than conventional displays.

Calling Features

Click the image to get a closer look at the D415's features.

When the SGH-D415 rings it will attract the ears--and eyes--of everyone around you thanks to its 64 polyphonic ringtones. You can heighten the excitement of owning this phone with its clear and vivid ringtones by applying your own original sounds. With the SGH-D415 you can select a variety of sound effects to use for key tones, message alerts, opening or closing the cover, and simply turning the phone on and off. Making phone calls will be more fun with its unique keypad tones.

Messaging and Internet Multimedia messaging service (MMS), an outgrowth of SMS (short messaging service), permits you to send multimedia messages with a combination of text, voice, music, and images to MMS-capable mobile phones. You can receive and send messages of up to 100 KB and store up to a total of 1 MB worth.

Cameras, Fun, and Games Spruce up your documents with eye-catching images you've captured with your mobile phone's VGA digital camera. You can shoot up to 15 consecutive pictures in high-speed mode or up to 9 pictures in normal speed, so you won't miss the best shot. Select the best images to keep from those pictures, or keep all of them.

The phone's unique, 180-degree rotating lens lets you shoot from every angle by simply turning the lens. Take self-portraits by pointing the high-quality lens on yourself while prepping your expression right there on the screen Four JAVA games--Bubble Smile, Fun2Link, Ultimate Golf Challenger, and Mobile Chess--come preloaded. The phone's JAVA ability lets you download programs you need of up to 850 KB from a variety of JAVA applets, including games and travel information, from various Web sites.

Vital Statistics The SGH-D415 measures 1.9 x 3.8 x .96 inches (W x H x D, with standard battery) and weighs .25 pounds with battery. Standard talk time is 200 to 300 minutes, with standby time clocking in at 3.5 to 9 hours. It runs on the 900/1900 GSM/GPRS frequencies.

Not bad but it could be better
This is my current phone. The phone is cool, the menu system is the best that I have seen from Samsung. (I think Motorola has a better menu system) & the camera is ok but not great by any means.

My biggest problem with the phone is that the ringer is very quiet even on the highest setting.

Another problem I found with the phone is if you receive a picture message from a friend you cannot use it for a ringer caller id. You can only use pictures that you have taken.

If I were to get a new phone I would go with a high end Motorola. (I would like to get my hands on a Razor v3 and hack it to use with T-mobile) Because even my old Motorola camera phone (with the detachable camera) had a better menu system then this one.

Bulky Cadillac Slider
Nicest slider phone I have ever had, have gone through three of these phones, the earpiece speaker goes out in them pretty fast after a lot of use, ok picture quality, video is a joke! Very user friendly operating system, even while you talk on the phone. Pimp spring loaded sliding action, but phone is too large for active people. I had to downsize.

If only I can give a "0"
This is by far the worst phone I've ever had.Not just me, but for my dad as well.We both got the same phone with family plan because I live about 400 miles away from home.I've used the Samsung p107 before and it worked great.I got the D415 with high expectations but it failed! After 4.5 months of using it, the screen malfunction.When people call, it does not light up!When I slide the phone open, the speakers don't work.But when I slide it down, it does but the screen doesn't.I was pissed.Then about a month later, the same thing happened to my dad at home.We were both like, wtf.He went back to his old Nokia and I went back to my old Samsung.This model is just bad.For those who gave 5 stars, wait and see.I used to think it was 5 stars.Not anymore.

NO NO
Likes: Nice screen resolution, sd card,
Dislikes:
Battery life is HORRIBLE, I'm lucky to go a day without charging!! Volume for ringer and for ear piece is low, very hard to hear, especially in public.
Menu seems almost ancient.
Phone is Bulky.
in my opinion it isn't very good. I would suggest putting the money towards the purchase of a nice digital camera and just purchase a good working phone.